


Broken Rules

by DoNotEatRaw



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Lance is a wing man, M/M, Modern AU, Pro-Bending, Shiro is Keith's brother, Slow Burn, Strong Language, War, a lot of shrek guys, avatar AU, everything you love is gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2018-07-27 06:50:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 106,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7608025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoNotEatRaw/pseuds/DoNotEatRaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lance couldn't believe it. He was sitting in the pro-bending arena. If anyone from the Garrison saw him here, if anyone recognized him as the waterbending noble from the Northern Water Tribe, he'd be ruined.</p><p>But it wasn't a total lost. After all, he just got the best black mail ever thought possible. Keith Kogane was a pro-bender, and it was Lance's job to expose him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my Avatar!Au. It is set in modern times. It was heavily inspired by Shrek (I need a hero inspired this?? Somehow??) Also, I got all the last names from the original series. And lastly, if you want, I made a new tumblr account specific for Voltron, so if you want to pop in my url is ikeacake. 
> 
> Everyone is aged up, but not for shipping purposes. They maintain their age differences (Lance is 21, so Shiro is around 28-29. Pidge is therefore 18.) 
> 
> Enjoy!

Lance had no shame to admitting to having the first two Shrek movie soundtracks downloaded to his phone. It helped him practice. In all honesty, what could beat Shrek?

Lance was in his back yard. He was standing on a strip of grass where he normally practiced his bending. There were two deep and narrow trenches dug a feet in front and behind him that were directly fed from a pond from his family's garden. He and his dad had planned out the practice pad the moment they found out they had a waterbender in their family. It was a first. He was a first. While the family came from a long line of Northern Water Tribe nobles, there had never been any documented Water Benders before. 

Lance was the first, and it made him feel special. His parents and siblings were all proud. All 7 siblings. Maybe not all, but he did have a lot of support from his family. 

Lance first showed signs after they moved right on the outskirts of Republic City. It was their first winter when Lance began bending the snow into perfect snow balls he could chuck with great accuracy (he was cheating with bending). The following spring, he and his dad dug out Lance's practice pad. It's where Lance spent the majority of his time.

Lance scrolled through the apps on his touch-screen phone. He had a radio station playing on his phone that he specifically used for his bending. Basically, it meant he had a bunch of movie sound tracks ready for him, at all time. But before he could begin the song, an ad played.

"Are you a bender looking for fame and fortune?!" The voice yelled eagerly out of Lance's phone. Lance made a face; he had heard this ad plenty of times, especially pitched at him in school. "Then come on down to the pro-bending arena to show off your skills!" Lance groaned. Pro-bending was such a joke. Hit a bunch of guys until they fall in a giant pool? 

Lance thought it was senseless. Not to mention it took a lot away from the awesome aspects of bending. He went to a bending school that especially taught him why pro-bending was a waste of time (which never stopped other kids from dropping out to become pro-benders). Pro-benders always ignored form, they never respected the origins, and they only played for selfish reasons. 

Lance was involved in a much more praised, albeit more feminine, form of bending. Show bending was, in Lance's opinion, way cooler and more entertaining to watch. It was a little younger than pro-bending, but Lance knew that it was for far more seasoned benders such as himself.

Show bending was a competition among other benders to see who could create the most elaborate and beautiful choreographed bending dances. It was pretty much the most important thing in Lance's life, after his family and bending. Connecting music and bending into a competition where Lance could show off was basically the meaning of his existence. Even before knowing he was a bender, he knew this is what he wanted to do.

Normally only women did show competitions, but Lance was very enthusiastic about all aspects of water bending. He knew how to heal, he had mastered his basics and was well on his way to more advance classes, and he was becoming a pro at the ice and frost aspects of water bending. He'd be damned if he didn't indulge in show bending as well. 

Lance waited for a song to play, and eventually one did. He knew most of the songs by heart, and he already had them choreographed and planned perfectly. He had already spent hours on these performances.

The first song to come was Butterfly Boucher's cover of Changes. An easy performance. It was one of the originals Lance had planned only months after he began training in water bending.

He took a deep breath, waiting for his energy to stabilize before beginning. Energy was an important aspect of water bending, and while it was the most challenging part of water bending for Lance, he never let that hold him back before.

He controlled the water almost effortlessly. He wasn't the most talented in his class, not by a long shot, but he spent so much time practicing that he had become one of the most fluid water benders, if not the most. He knew this water like the back of his hand. The song continued, and it often dragged into a low melancholy sound or a very strong enthusiastic chorus, and Lance found himself following along without even having having to look at his bending. 

He was nearing the climax when he was disturbed.

"Lookin' good, Lance!" Lance suddenly faltered and the water he was controlling suddenly feel back in their trench. The small pieces of ice Lance was bending turned back to water and rained on his head.

Lance frowned and looked to his side, finding his neighbor and childhood friend, Hunk, running down the hill towards him. Normally Lance was extremely crabby towards anyone who interrupted his bending, but he smiled at Hunk. 

Lance and Hunk had been friends ever since Lance moved next to him. At first, it was a strained relationship with Lance constantly pushing a shy Hunk to earth bend for him. 

Hunk came from a family of Earth Benders. They were very country folk all the way from the eastern Earth Kingdom coast. They were all good Earth benders, at least where it concerned Hunk's family. They were farmers, but when they struck an abundance of coal underneath their farm, Hunk's parents moved to the city where they eventually had Hunk and his younger sister.

Hunk wasn't into bending as much as Lance, especially because he had been surrounded by it his entire life. It wasn't as exciting for him. That didn't stop the two from having extremely aggressive mud fights. Sometimes they abandoned the bending to just wrestle. While Lance could beat Hunk in any bending competition, Hunk was surprisingly an extremely skilled wrestler. 

"Hunk!" Lance called as Hunk trotted over to him. Lance paused his Shrek song. Hunk eyed the phone and rolled his eyes.

"Shrek? Again?" Lance grinned and poked his shoulder. 

"Yeah, got a problem with that, Rocky?" Lance asked kiddingly. Hunk grinned at him. Lance knew Hunk had no problem.

"No, but if you keep using these songs, the Judges will find out. I'm pretty sure using only Shrek songs will get you banned" Hunk warned. Lance shrugged. Normally hearing something concerning the judges would have Lance listening in a matter of seconds. He really really liked winning Show Competitions, if only to keep sharing his works with all his friends. Or friend; Hunk was pretty much his only friend, but he certainly cheered like a squad of ten. But he knew Hunk was only joking.

"They can't stop me, I'm the amazing Lance. Lance of the Northern Water Tribe. Lance, the winner of 19 consecu—" 

"Alright, alright," Hunk interrupted. "I get it, you like your Shrek." They laughed at this before Hunk grew a bit quiet. Lance frowned.

"Hey, what's up? You seem kind of quiet." Lance said. Hunk bit his lip. He took a deep breath.

"Shayaskedmeonadatetotheprobendingarenaandisaidyeseventhoughi'mscaredofdatinganyoneandidon'twanttogo alone." Lance frowned, his mouth ajar. 

"Hunk, Hunk, slow down, what are you talking about? I can't hear you when you're talking so fast." Hunk swallowed thickly.

"Shay asked me on a date."

"Dude, that's awesome! You guys have been flirting for like, 10 years, congrats!" Lance enthused. Hunk shook his head.

"Lance, she asked me to a pro-bending tournament." The smile melted off of Lance's face. Not only did he have a strong distaste of pro-bending, but if school administrators saw any of their 'prized' students in a pro-bending arena, they'd be severely punished. 

"O-oh, I'm sorry. Must have been rough," Lance said. This, of course, was on the assumption that Hunk, Lance's Hunk, who was extremely cautious and followed every rule in the book, denied Shay's invitation.

"Lance, I said yes." Lance froze. He turned slowly towards Hunk.

"Hunk, you gotta reschedule! You could get suspended from Garrison for going there. They hate pro-bending, and they certainly don't want us there." 

"I'm not going to do that. Lance we're adults! We should be allowed to go wherever we want! Besides, I've always wanted to see a competition." He added the last part quietly, and all Lance could do was gap at his friend. You'd think after being best friends almost their entire lives, Hunk would have said something sooner.

"Hunk—"

"I don't even like the Garrison! It's so pretentious. And I really like Shay. Like a lot. If I get suspended or whatever, it's not my loss." Lance wanted to shake his friend senseless. Of course it'd be a lost! It was nearly impossible getting into the Garrison! 

But Lance also knew Hunk. Hunk was never a fan of the Garrison or bending. He probably wanted to be a engineer or something non-bending friendly. 

"Alright, I understand."

"T-that's not all," Hunk added more nervously.

 

Lance couldn't believe it. He was sitting in the pro-bending arena. He was wearing a scarf to hide his face, a Earth kingdom outfit, and a floppy fire nation hat. If anyone from the Garrison saw him here, if anyone recognized him as the waterbending nobel from the north water tribe, he'd be ruined.

If that happened, he'd be sure to send in his non-bending job application along with Hunk.

Why Lance was right there, next to Hunk while he flirted horribly with Shay, was a mystery to the water bender. Not only was he breaking the most important Garrison rule, he was third-wheeling! 

It had taken over an hour of begging and assurance that he wouldn't be found out for Hunk to convince Lance to tag along. 

"Please?" He had begged, gripping Lance's water tribe leggings. Lance couldn't shake him off, and eventually he found himself watching a bunch of nerds doing their nerdy pro-bending like the nerds they were with other nerds.

"This is insane," he muttered to himself. He glanced around, trying to look for a cute girl or something to entertain himself and get him away from Shay and Hunk. 

"Fire gummies! Rock candy! Flavored ice cubes!" Lance lit up when he saw a man selling candy near the base of the arena. He was kinda far away, but Lance was craving some ice and rocks. 

Lance glanced at Shay and Hunk giggling to themselves. "I'm gonna grab some grub," he announced. Hunk hummed in acknowledgement, but didn't turn around.

Lance pursed his lips. "What did you even need me for?" He wondered. One condition Lance had for coming with Hunk was to be as far from the stage as possible, so it'd be harder to be spotted. Lance was sure he wouldn't be found, his disguise was too good (Hunk argued he'd look the most suspicious, but Lance wasn't going to take any advice from Hunk for awhile). 

Lance ran down the aisle towards his only escape from this nerdy show for the next hour and a half. 

"Hi, yes!" Lance greeted. "One of everything," he announced, handing him some water tribe cash. "Thanks." The man nodded. Lance glanced up at Hunk. He smiled a little, genuinely happy for him. But he soured at the thought of watching the  
flirting show again. Lance glanced at the arena. The final round had just finished, and another team was up. Lance popped a strawberry cavehopper crunch in his mouth as he watched the next benders take the stage and a man in a spot light shout their team names. Maybe Lance should give it a chance?

He watched the teams take their place, the announcer shouting a mix of endorsements, pro-bending terms, and his own sound effects over the intercom. Lance watched as the first team started pushing the other team back, one level at a time. Lance grimaced. The red team was having a rough time against the yellow team. Lance observed the red team's water bender. Lance almost laughed, but he realized he shouldn't have been too arrogant.

He wondered if he could be any better down there, what with hundreds, maybe thousands of people watching him. The water bender was forced into the defensive mode, swiping at every attack thrown at her. The opposing team had easily spotted her at the weakest link. Lance felt a little sorry when the water bender was shot off of the platform. The Earth bender wasn't having much more luck. He was knocked out just a little after the water bender.

Lance the dragged his eyes towards the last member and nearly spit out his cavehopper crunch. 

"Holy shit," Lance would recognize that fire bending anywhere. It was the only bending to trump his own at the Garrison. But it wasn't the bending that gave the fire bender away. It was that damn mullet.

Lance suddenly took everything he had ever thought about Shay and Hunk back. This was too damn good. Motherfucking Keith Kogane was a pro-bender.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There so many amazing comments that I just wanted to post another chapter! I honestlt have never had such more support in a single day? Voltron fandom is amazing~

Lance raced back to Shay and Hunk. He almost ran right past them. He had never sat down so fast, nearly dropping all his food.

"You'll never believe what I just saw," Lance said while swatting away Hunk's hand from his seal jerky. 

"What? Do you finally see how cool pro-bending is?" Lance frowned.

"What? No. Of course not. In fact, if anything this only confirms everything I have ever thought about this damn sport. Check out that fire bender." Shay and Hunk looked over as Keith was barely holding on to whatever leverage he had left. 

"Yeah? He seems like a good fire bender." Hunk said questioningly. Lance almost smacked the back of Hunk's head. Hearing him compliment Keith was doing too much to Lance's head.

"Look at that mullet! Don't you recognize it?" He asked, kneeling in his seat because he was too excited to actually sit down. Hunk pursed his lips, and Lance could almost see the gears in his head turning.

"Whoa! Is... Is that Keith?" Lance bit his lip and nodded eagerly. Keith was a firebender in Lance's advance classes. He was the only bender to show him up at everything, and Lance hated it. To be more specific, Lance hated Keith. They always said fire and water benders never got along, but Lance always took it to the next level. 

"Hey man, can you sit? I can't see!" A man called behind Lance. Lance reluctantly sat down, but he couldn't contain his happiness. 

"This is the perfect blackmail!"

"Whoa, Lance," Hunk said. "Blackmail? That's pretty harsh for you."

"Yeah well, he started it! I'll only use it if I absolutely need to!" Hunk gave him an unconvinced look. Eventually he went back to talking to Shay, who was more than confused, but Lance was too invested in Keith's next round to care. He had already eaten his fire gummies and cave hoppers.

Keith's team really sucked, they kept getting knocked around like training dummked, and Lance, previously sympathetic, had suddenly turned into another one of the pro-bender fans. He was screaming and cheering and booing. He was eating his ice cubes and grimacing, choking on his seal jerky whenever Keith actually managed to get his team closer to the center, and spitting out any blitz bits whenever Keith actually did something cool (cool by pro-bending standards, but still nerdy by other standards).

He had never, ever, been more invested in something his entire life, not even when Princess Allura performed her moon ritual back North, and was pretty sure he had forgotten to blink back then. 

No, this was different. This excitememnt was almost entirely new to Lance. He was sitting on the edge of his seat, screaming for the other team. 

"Y'know Lance, Keith is like, a level ahead of you." Hunk said. Lance made a face. 

"Technically, but I personally think he's just got the fire advantage against my water and ice. What's your point?"

"So, if Keith is higher than you, and those guys are beating Keith, then their also beating you." Hunk had never seen Lance go so quiet. For once, Lance was taking awhile to actually think.

"What the fuck, Hunk, you're right!" Lance announced, shooting up in his seat to get closer to the arena. "C'mon Keith, you firey piece of shit, kick their ass!" He found himself back at the edge of the statium, and if someone had not known Lance, they would've thought he were Keith's biggest fan. 

"Keith! Come on, you're better than this, asshole!" Lance cheered through cupped hands, but he could see Keith losing ground. His earth bender had been hit in the knee and was stumbling against the bombarding of the other players. 

"Oh come in, Ref! That's gotta be against the rules!" Lance yelled.

"Actually," a voice said next to Lance. Lance jumped back and looked to see a young kid adjust their glasses, still peering at the competition. "It's within the rules. And why do you keep saying Keith? His name is Yuen." Oh, so maybe Keith had a code name. Lance hadn't realized, and he probably just revealed Keith's identity to 20 screaming fans. Whatever, he didn't care.

"I'm Pidge, by the way." They said, holding out their hand. 

"I'm here in secret, so I can't say who I am. Not until you tell me where you go to school first."

"School? I'm home schooled. My dad is a professor at Ba Sing Se, but we tend to travel the desert most of the time." Pidge said.

"Thats sounds like a pain in the ass, I'm sorry," Lance said. As a water bender, being stuck in the desert sounded like a nightmare. "I'm Lance," he finally shook Pidge's hand. 

"It's not as bad as it sounds. The desert holds the most information," was that a riddle or something? Lance didn't care. Keith was getting his ass handed to him, and Lance wanted to watch. 

"Why the hell is, um, Yuen, losing?" Lance asked suddenly.

"Are you a newcomer?"

"Something like that." 

"Well, normally, a player like Yuen would be in a much higher leveled team. But most teams are full. Not to mention, they say Yuen has a lot of team work issues." Lance snorted, he knew first hand that that was an understatement. 

"Well, what happens if one player is too injured to play?" Lance glanced at the injured earth bender. 

"Usually someone heals them. Either they come back, or their replacement takes over for awhile. Pro-bending is pretty rigorous." Pidge answered. "Crazy right?"

"Extremely, I always thought pro-bending was a bunch of chucking rocks and snowballs." Lance was surprised, but he didn't like being wrong, so his opinions were even more set. 

"After Yuen is knocked out, the opposing team wins. The next match is the last of the night. The losers all play each other in two weeks, winners the next. That way, the winner of losers eventually fights the winner of winners. The previous winning team always wins of course, but those always make the best games." Lance bit his lip. 

"Sounds fun," he said. Lance didn't really know if he were lying or not, but he was too preoccupied with booing when Keith was finally flung off the stage to think about it

 

Lance sat in his chair staring at the board. The teacher was going over the history of bending, about the dragons and moon and whatever. Normally Lance was somewhat interested, but at the moment all he could do was slyly glance at Keith next to him.

Lance had been itching to bring up last night tournament to Keith all day. Having 'Yuen' sit next to Lance all day without giving him a chance to speak was personal torture. 

The teacher continued the lecture. Lance leaned over his seat and tapped on Keith's shoulder. Keith frowned before looking at him. He frowned.

"So, you like shows?" Lance asked. Keith stared at him with confusion.

"They're okay..." He answered shortly and turned back around. Lance huffed and tapped on his shoulder again. If it were possible, Keith was frowning even deeper now.

"What about pro-bending?" Keith's eyes widened for a second. He glanced around to make sure no one was listening.

"Who the hell are you?" Keith asked. Lance was gloating. 

"I saw you last night, Keith."

"Um... I don't even know your name, nor what you're talking about, so stop talking to me." Lance was extremely offended. Keith... Didn't know his name? He cheered him on for almost an hour yesterday! How the fuck did he not know Lance's name?

"Um, it's Lance? Your rival?" Keith was ignoring him. "Play dumb, all you want 'Yuen'." Keith stiffened in a matter of seconds, and Lance smiled to himself. 

Across the room, Hunk was shaking his hands frantically at Lance, but Lance ignored him. "You really got your ass handed to you! Your team was all over the place before the bell had even rung." Lance taunted.

"Do you want me to kick your ass?" Keith said suddenly, louder and more forceful. 

"I'd like to see you try, after the shit-sorry performance last night! I can only wonder how you're top of the class." Lance didn't notice his teacher waiting not even a feet away from Keith and Lance. 

"Still manage to be number one, what's your excuse?" Keith hissed.

"I'd say you cheated, but then again you still lost in one of the nerdiest sports to exists. Maybe you just didn't have enough time to cheat?" 

"Nerdiest? Says Mrs. Show Competitions!" Hunk groaned silently into his hands as their teacher cleared her throat loudly. The entire class had heard them arguing. More importantly, their teacher had heard them talking about pro-bending.

She didn't even have to say anything, she simply pointed to the door. Normally, Lance would flip shit, but he was so entranced in his death stare with Keith that he couldn't think of anything else.

He managed to keep staring all the way to the headmaster's office; his body was screaming at him to do multiple things. Part of him wanted to freeze Keith, fight him, and the other one wanted to shrink away because he had just committed one of the worst offense possible at the Garrison.

 

"So let me get this straight," their headmaster, Mr. Vincent said, "you're a pro-bending competitor." He gestured to Keith. Keith glared at Lance, but eventually nodded.

Lance had to resist the urge to smile smugly. "And you," the headmaster said suddenly. Lance no longer had the urge to smile. "Attended the pro-bending competition last night?" Lance bit his lip and nodded. 

"You both are our top benders! Keith you have almost mastered fire bending! Lance, you know how amazing your show competitions are? You're going to throw that away?" Both boys shook their heads.

"Especially you Lance, we thought you hated pro-bending." Keith stared at Lance from the corner of his eye, sinking in his seating with his arm crossed on his chest. "Why did you even go?" Hunk quickly flashed through Lance's mind. But there was no way he'd rat Hunk out. Hunk was probably shaking from anxiety as they spoke.

"I... I was curious." 

"You were curious?" He headmaster repeated, unconvinced. Lance sighed.

"There's this cute girl who works a tea shop downtown. She likes pro-bending, so I took her." Mr. Vincent sighed.

"Lance, two weeks detention. Keith, five day suspension." Keith looked ready to wring Lance's neck. In all honesty, if Lance were Keith he wouldn't have been such a pussy bitch and would have done it already. Lance simply sneered at him. 

"Your parents will hear about this," Mr. Vincent informed them. Lance resisted the urge to groan. "Lance, starting everyday after your final class, you will be in study hall from two to four." Lance had a strict training schedule. Losing those two hours would be crucial to his performance. "And I really don't want to do this, but you are banned from this season's Show Competition."

Lance shot out of his seat. "No, no, no! You can't do that! I've been training for weeks now, months! The next would be 20th in a row, that's a school record!" He pleaded. Mr. Vincent looked remorseful.

"You both are already getting the easiest of punishment. This is only for show, and I don't want to do this. But to enforce the rules is my job." Lance sat back down, too pissed to do anything other than think about how much he hated Vincent and Keith.

Keith had remained suspiciously quiet the entire time. Lance wanted Keith to say something, either coax out the principal or maybe get himself expelled so Lance would never have to look at Keith's face ever again. But he did nothing.

"Lance, tomorrow, two. Don't be late. Keith..." It was like he didn't know what to say, do he instead said nothing. The headmaster cleared his throat. "Both of you are dismissed."

Keith and Lance stood hastily and exited the room as quickly as they could. Lance could hear how angry Keith was in his heavy steps down the halls.

He stopped suddenly, and spun around. He was almost nose to nose with Lance, and Lance was met with alluring violet and violent eyes. He told his bisexual side to shut the hell up because this was mother fucking Keith.

"After school, I'll meet you at the park. We're going to fight." Lance was surprised at first. But then he realized, a chance to beat Keith? In front of everyone? With no classroom rules? Lance grinned.

"I'd say challenge accepted, but it won't be much of a challenge." Keith growled, and Lance would have, too, if he wasn't a nobleman raised to have good manners. 

"I'm going to burn you to ashes."

"I think you need to chill out."

"I've been meaning to test some new moves out, and it looks like I found myself a dummy."

"What moves are those? The ones where I wipe the floor with your ass?" If Keith got any closer, Lance would be able to count Keith's individual eyelashes. But Keith pulled away.

"You're dead meat, Mr. Nobleman." Keith said as he turned away to walk out of the school. Lance resisted the urge to stomp his foot down.

"Oh, you're going to regret that one, riftrat!" Was he going to far? Absolutely. Did he care? No. Keith spun on his heels and stared at Lance. Lance could see the heat boiling off of Keith's head. Lance scoffed, in turn chilling the air with his breath. The two were locked in a staring contest once again.

Before either of them could act though, a bell rung throughout the halls. On the school intercom, Lance began to hear the final school announcements. Students flooded out of the classes, all talking animatedly and loudly. Eventually, Keith was lost in the swamp of kids. 

Frowning, Lance set off to find Hunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fighting? ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ Suspension? ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ 
> 
> Ah, you guys are awesome though, thanks for deciding to read the second chapter!
> 
> Also, Keith's psudonym is based on Steven Yuen (y'all don't realize how loud i screamed when I found out Glen and Daryl were on this show). -10 creativity points I'm sorry


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lost all of my work last night :D Stayed up trying to recover :D Haven't slept :D And I gotta pay to recover the file :D Let's hope I get it back :D But for now enjoy a now un-edited chapter :D Because notes randomly deleted my work and I hadn't update my back up in a day :'D

"Oh, man!" Hunk said anxiously, running a hand through his hair. "This is all my fault, oh man. I should have never—"

"Hunk, I'm about to beat the shit out of Keith. I need some encouragement, not your self-pity."

"Right! Right! Um..." Hunk trailed off. He and Lance were walking towards the park, a spacious opening where there'd be enough water for Lance to fully enjoy himself while kicking Keith's ass. 

"Come on, Hunk! Ramp me up! We can do this!" Lance said. How was it that Lance was still the one cheering Hunk up. Not that Lance minded, of course. He still hadn't told Hunk everything. Not about being banned from the next show. All Hunk knew was that Lance got a little slap on the wrist.

"Just, ah, remember your basics! Don't forget that that there was a hundred year war that whipped out the air nomads in 0 AG. That Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai in 100 AG. That Avatar Korra—"

"Hunk, I don't really need the history lesson." 

"Right! Just, uh, fight good." Lance will admit, he was nervous. He wasn't a fighter, he was a dancer. He knew how to fight, but that didn't mean he wanted to or was good at it. If he stuck close to the lake, he was sure be could pull it off. But even then, Keith was a fighter. A good one at that, Lance had saw him fighting just last night. Not to mention he was best in class.

Lance took a deep breath. "I am the first water bender in my family! I refuse to let my ass be kicked by some jerk who only knows how to chuck fire balls!" Lance quite literally stomped to the lake, his anger coming out in the frosty patches he left behind as he stalked towards the pond.

He was determined, but when he saw Keith waiting for him, he almost faltered. Keith was standing tall in all his fire bending glory. He tossed aside his nerdy jacket, and he pulled off his gloves. Using a hair tie, he pulled his hair back.

Lance was getting weak in the knees, and he didn't know if that was from the fight or from Keith. 

"Keith," he yelled. He raced over to the boy. "Ready to fight?" Keith cracked a sarcastic smile, and Lance again felt weak.

"Do you even know how to fight, pretty boy? Or are you just going to dance?" Lance blushed a deep red. He didn't know what was worse, being called pretty boy or having his shows made fun of.

Another reason he hated Keith was because he never had to try in his life. He was one of those natural gifted benders that got everything the second he saw it. He didn't know the hours Lance slaved away perfecting his 'dances'. 

Lance growled for the first time since he was a child. Acting swiftly, Lance thrusted his hands towards the pond and brought them in an arch. The water follow and drenched Keith head to toe in water. Lance almost stopped to laugh, but before he could, Keith was firing back.

Lance ran straight for the pond, freezing the water's top surface so that he had as much water as he needed surrounding him.

Keith fought like a pro-bender. Fistful of fire after fire was all he shot. Lance would make a wall of ice that he'd have to reconstruct whenever Keith shot at him. Lance had to admit, despite being straight forward and uncultured, Keith was riding him into the defenses. Lance bended the water into a circle around him, sprouting 8 tentacles. 

Using one water arm, he began launching dagger-like icicles at Keith. Keith was dodging them all, melting any that got too close. But while Lance was bombarding him, he sent a tentacle whipping out to Keith, gripping ahold of his leg and dragging him towards the water. 

If Keith was in the water, then Lance would have this fight in a bag.

Keith brushed a wave of fire towards the water dragging him back. The water evaporated. He shot back up, taking the fight to Lance. He began shooting at the ice below Lance's feet. Lance tried to refreeze it, but his footing was too rocky. 

Lance too a deep breath, and drilled straight through the ice into the water. Keith hadn't realized it, but his fire was creating a mist of steam that Lance could use for cover. Pretty soon, Keith was launching fireballs wherever he heard a sound. Lance reemerged from the Lake with a water funnel spinning violently in his arms. This was one of the new advance moves he was just learning. He was going to use it in his show, but Keith ruined that for him!

Lance made a ring around his body with the water. Using the mist as cover, he took his time to bend the ice below him into small pieces of hail, infusing it with his torrent. When Keith gets a load of this, he'll have bruises all day. 

Lance bended the mist away, signaling out Keith instantly and shooting his hail loaded water sprout at him. Keith turned too slowly, and the water hit him right in the chest, knocking him over. There was a nasty thump as Keith's head slammed onto the ground.

Lance grinned, thinking he had won. He created a wave to carry him over to Keith. He grinned at himself, noticing Keith wasn't getting up. 

He was getting a bit concerned, however. They were fighting, but severely hurting Keith wasn't Lance's intention.

"Uh, Keith?" Lance called out. He stepped onto the grass. "Are you alright?" He prepared his hands for healing in case he had really hurt the fire bender.

Suddenly, Keith was spinning around, a ring of fire way too close to Lance. Lance tried to bring up a wall of water to protect himself, but he had already been bending the healing water. The wall was too thin, and the fire broke through it easily. In a last ditch effort, Lance threw up his arms to cover his face, yelling like a kicked puppy when he felt his skin being burned on his arms. 

Keith was standing over Lance as Lance was clutching his arms, bleeding into his own healing water. Keith was breathing heavily, glaring of Lance. But Keith suddenly realized the severity of what he had done, and his eyes grew soft.

"Oh, god, Lance, I'm sorry! I didn't—" he inched closed, but with fear and fury in his eyes Lance's swept his hands up. Keith stopped moving forward as three extremely sharp icicles were held underneath his chin.

"Not another step closer," Lance hissed, his eyes stinging. His arms were burning, and he could feel the top layer of his skin seared off as a mix of clothes and his own body fell onto the ground.

"Lance, let me help!" Keith said again, and this time Hunk was running to them. Lance glanced at Hunk, and Keith took another step forward.

"What did I say?" Lance roared. Suddenly, the entire grass with a radius of three feet was wilted and dead, and Keith found himself frozen in a block of ice.

"Lance! Wait," Hunk yelled out. "I'm sure he didn't mean—" Lance was already running away, towards the pond. He created an ice board and skied across the pond to the other side.

Once Lance was sure he was as far away from Keith as possible, he started to cry. When the drops fell on his shiny red arms, they stung. Shaking slightly at the sight of the burns, Lance immersed his arms into the pond. A small part of the water began to glow. Pulling his arms out Lance felt like crying even more. Dark red scars twisted themselves on Lance's forearms. 

"Mom's going to have a heart attack," Lance kidded to himself. It lightened his mood a little, but not by much.

 

Keith was melting the ice he was trapped in, and it was a slow process. The more he melted the ice, the harder it was to kept it lit. The water drenched his hands, and it took extra energy to keep his fists lit.

Some part of him knew he deserved to be stuck there, encased in a chilling ball of ice. He was surprised at what he did. Ashamed and shocked at himself. Why had he burnt Lance? He knew that blast was too much, that's exactly why he used it. Maybe he overestimated Lance? As much as Keith would like to think that was the case, he knew Lance was coming over to help, and Keith took advantage of him.

"I am a fucking dumbass," he grumbled from his prison. He watched Lance race away immediately across the water. He wanted to cry out for Lance to wait, he felt so guilty. But he knew some part of him was too prideful. 

"Lance!" Yelled the guy Lance had brought with him. What was his name? Hank? Hunter? It was something with an H. Or at least he somewhat remembered.

Keith sighed and went to working on freeing himself.

"What happened?" Hank wondered a loud, eyeing the dead grass in disbelief. Keith didn't feel like telling him the story. He was also certain that no matter how he painted the picture, Lance was going to tell him the real story. Keith fucking burnt Lance. And a serious burn, too. 

"I'm leaving," Keith announced. It was kind of his hint for Hank to leave, considering Keith was still stuck in a wall of ice. But Hank didn't pick it up.

"Let me help you," he offered. Keith was confused, he just burnt his friend and made him run away after just fighting him. Why did he want to help Keith? 

"I'm Hunk," he said. He stomped on the ground, and Keith felt his teeth rattle inside of his mouth. He looked down and noticed the ice beginning to crack. He stomped again and the ice cracked even more.

"I saw you perform last night. You were pretty good." Hunk said, stomping some more. Keith frowned. He noticed the way Hunk kept watching the dead grass, but neither of them said anything.

"You were there, too?" Hunk offered a sad smile. With one last stomp, the ice had broken apart. Keith was grateful, and began using his fire bending to warm himself up. 

"Yeah, I dragged Lance there to play as my wing man with this girl I liked." Hunk confessed. Keith wondered why Lance didn't tell the truth in the office. He also wondered why Hunk was telling him all this.

"Why are you telling me this?" Keith asked simply. "Is there a point?"

"I guess I just wanted you to know Lance is actually a really good guy. He's really happy being a bender. He spends hours practicing. So, I think that's why he made that show today."

Keith felt slightly sick. Lance got him suspended for a week because he was jealous? And he also felt extremely guilty that it was Lance's friend apologizing to Keith when Keith was the one who took the fight way too far. 

"Yeah, well, he's being an ass," and the award for most sensitive guy goes to Keith Kogane.

"He's always an ass." Hunk turned around as if to leave.

"Ah, Hunk, if you don't mind me asking, why'd you come last night? Knowing you might get in trouble, I mean." Hunk seemed a little shocked at his question.

"This girl I like really likes pro-bending," he admitted. Keith didn't know why, but he was expecting more than that, like some kind of wisdom about fate or pro-bending or whatever. 

"Even though you could have been kicked out?" Keith asked.

"I guess it was silly to worry about that, Lance said you guys weren't even punished. Then again, I'm not as good at bending as you guys." Keith was even more confused now. "But the real reason," Hunk said slowly and suddenly, "I really hate Garrison. Like, a lot."

 

Lance was insanely glad Keith was suspended. He didn't want to have to sit next to him after yesterday. After he had gotten burnt, he went to a local healer hut and got more experienced healing and then was bandaged up.

"Sorry, honey, this is the best we can do," the lady had said. Lance had chosen to wear a long sleeved shirt to cover the bandages today. He really didn't want the reminder of his fight.

But if Keith wasn't reminder enough, his empty seat was. Temptation proved too much, and soon Lance was undoing one of his arm bandages to look at the burns that now permanently scarred his skin.

The healers couldn't do much. Lance did most of it at the pond, and it was too late for any real extension of work to have been done when he made it to the hut. 

The fresh pink skin was jarring against Lance's dark northern skin. Sighing, Lance rewrapped his arm, preparing for the first day of detention.

 

The morning Keith was supposed to return, Lance thought about skipping. He still had revealed nothing about his burns to anyone, yet. Somehow, they began to become a source of shame for Lance. Keith burned him. Lance actually thought he was better than all those pro-benders, thought he had Keith pinned to the board like a fly. In reality, it took only a few seconds for Lance to get hurt and run away. 

He didn't know if he could play the sick card with his mom, though. Even if he faked his temperature, he didn't feel like staying with her doting on him all day. So reluctantly, Lance got ready to face Keith.

Lance didn't wait to walk with Hunk. He hadn't done so since last week. Some part of him didn't feel like talking to Hunk. He loved Hunk, but he really needed his space. He wasn't sure how, but in some way Keith had gotten to Lance. Lance hadn't so much as bended since he healed himself. What even was the point? Keith was right, all Lance was was a glorified dancer. The idea of uncultured pro-benders was all some Garrison bullshit so that kids would stay in their classes and pay their tuition. 

Lance briefly wondered if that kid he met last week would be at the pro-bending competition today, the one between the winners. He'd like to think they were, but even if he did attend, he may never see them again. They could be back in the desert even. 

Lance arrived to class early for the first time ever. He could tell his teacher was shocked, but she said nothing. Lance noticed Keith's chair was empty. He wondered what would happen the moment Keith stepped through the door. There was still another 15 minuets until the front doors closed, and Lance hoped Keith would only just barley make it.

To Lance's surprise, Keith wasn't here today. Lance wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not. For the majority of class he kept his head down and tried to fall asleep, which he failed.

 

When class ended, Lance dragged his ass to his house. He decided on the way home to try practicing today, if only to keep from getting rusty. He stared at his phone that he placed on a stool he brought outside. He couldn't bring himself to play any music. He sat down on the strip of grass between the two trenches of pond water. He didn't feel like bending much anyways. 

Lance kind of expected Hunk to be racing down the hill again to meet him at the pond, try and urge him to have another mud war. Or worse, attend another pro-bending tournament. 

Frowning, Lance reached for his phone. He hadn't gotten any texts from Hunk. He wondered if he should start a conversation.

Thinking better of it, Lance did something he never did before, and on his radio station he turn on the pro-bending commentary.

Lance tuned in a little after the second round between two teams he didn't know. Pidge had taught him some pro-bending terms last time, and Lance was able to follow along with the competition. "The Paracats are being pushed further and further! If they lose this round, they'll be sent to the loser ring and force to participate only three weeks from n— OH NO! The Paracats' fire bender has just been shot out of the ring! It's up to Yukine and Hue to carry on— AND HUE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT! REF CALLS A FOUL! YUKINE MOVES UP, BUT CAN HUE RECOVER?"

Lance smiled to himself. He guessed it wasnt too bad, at least not when he was still at home. 

"ALL THE PARACATS HAVE IS THEIR WATERBENDER; WILL SHE PULL THROUGH?" Lance listened more closely.

"She goes in for a right jab! She rolls to avoid a flying disc! The fire is put out, she is working her water flawlessly! It's no question who leads the Paracats!" 

Lance smiled. Yup, water benders. True leaders. Lance stood up. "SHE GOES FOR A HEAVY BLAST! SHE WHIPS HANS INTO TAKASHI! THEY BETTER UNTANGLE QUICK OR—" Lance bended what be imagined Yukine was doing, and Lance unleashed his own blast of heavy water onto a tree, making a water whip to slice the tip if a rock off.

"SHE TAKES MORE COVER!"

Lance remakes a wall of ice, trying unsuccessfully not to think of last week. 

"YUKINE AVOIDS THE HIT WITH A HAND SPRING WHAT AN AMAZING– SHE DODGES AGAIN!" Lance does a backwards hand spring, twisting over to avoid an imaginary fire blast. 

"DID YOU SEE THAT? WITH ONE FORCEFUL HIT, YUKINE HAS KNOCKED RUI STRAIGHT OFF THE COURT!" Lance sends and powerful water shot at an unsuspecting bush.

"SHE REDIRECTS THE WATER THROWN AT HERE AND REFLECTS IT LIKE A WATER SPIRIT!" Lance pulls back the water from the bush forcefully, a large bubble racing towards him that he redirects around himself and sends back again to the bush. "AND SHE KNOCKS OUT THE FLYINGKOI'S FIRE BENDER WHAT A TURN OF EVENTS!" Lance is getting excited again. 

He sets all his water down back into the pond and races inside his house to grab his jacket. 

Ten minuets later, Lance finds himself back at the Pro-Bending Arena. With his hood pulled low, Lance buys his ticket and catches the last of the Paracats final round. If they win this round, however, another will ensure. Lance gazed down at the Paracats from the railing separating the audience and pool below. Yukine didn't look familiar, nor how Lance pictured her, but regardless, he found himself drawn to her and her bending. Despite being a pro-bender, she was amazing. Scratch that, she was amazing, pro-bender or not.

"Enjoying the show?" Lance whipped around and was greeted by none other than Pidge.

"Yes! Very much!" He said. "How did you find me?" 

"Suspicious hooded figure? I had a feeling," Pidge said, smiling. Lance smiled back, tearing back his hood. 

"Guess a cover doesn't really matter much here?" He asked, but he knew Pidge didn't have the answer he was looking for. Lance was always scared shitless he'd be kicked out of Garrison for so much as being seen next to the arena. But Keith was actually on their big screens for god knows how long, and the school never knew.

Thinking of Keith made Lance nervously pull his sleeves over his arms. "So," Lance said. "Are you a bender?" 

"I guess you could say that," Pidge responded. 

"That's an awfully shrouded answer for a simple question," Lance said with a smile. 

"Gotta keep my secrets, my friend. How about you? Are you a bender?" Lance nodded.

"Water bender." Pidge frowned. 

"Weird, I pegged you for a fire bender." It was Lance's turn to frown.

"The way you were cheering on Yuen? Sounded like nation pride," Pidge laughed, and Lance tried to laugh along. 

"Have you ever thought of being in one of these?" Lance gestured to the competition, trying to change the subject. 

"Yeah, all the time," Pidge responded. 

"Why?"

"The excitement, the thrill of the bending, the team work, it's all so enthralling."

"How come you never joined?" He asked.

"My element isn't down there." Lance's eyebrows shot up. 

"What's your element then?" 

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret." Pidge answered.

"Wait lemme guess, metal?" Pidge shook their head. "Um... Lava?" Again, no. "ARE YOU AN AIRBENDER?"

Pidge gave Lance a look that made him feel stupid. "Okay first if all, air is everywhere. Secondly, I'm not going to tell you!"

They both laughed at that, and Lance was grateful for the distraction. 

"So, are you coming next week? That Yuen guy is going to be here. I think he has a real shot." Lance touched his arms nervously. 

"I'm not sure. I'm new to this whole pro-bending thing, and if I were ever seen here... Well it would mean a lot of trouble." He answered honestly.

"I think you should come." Pidge stated.

"Why?" Lance asked.

"Because you're a bender. And this is what benders do. They bend."

 

By Friday, Keith was still missing. Lance had finally begun talking to Hunk again, and had even started texting Pidge. 

He stopped wearing the bandages around his wrists. He was through with whatever pity-party he had thrown himself last week. 

"Because you're a bender," Pidge had said. "And this is what benders do. They bend." Lance would have never expected a stranger would have snapped him out of his funk. But then again, it was a stranger he put him there in the first place. In fact, Lance seemed to be avoiding his old friends and hanging around strangers.

But he missed Hunk. And so on the following Monday, when Lance was really concerned as to why Keith hasn't shown up after a week, Lance dragged Hunk back to the Arena. This time it was Hunk dressed in silly undercover outfits, and Lance had to admit it looked pretty suspicious. 

Lance made sure to grab seats as close as possible. He didn't want to miss this. Compared to how he was two weeks ago, Lance knew he had completely turned over a new leaf, but his friends knew better than to say that to his face.

Lance watched as the first two teams began their challenge. This session was supposed to be difficult. Keith and his team vs. the other losing team two weeks ago. Whoever won that had to go against the last remaining team. Sounds kinda like a cheat for the last team, but Lance didn't mention that to Pidge or Hunk.

Lance creeped over to the railing and saw Keith readying himself on the platform. He wasn't sure why he was surprised Keith was back, but he had genuinely thought something was wrong with Keith. It was a relief he was okay, but Lance still wasn't sure if he was happy to see him.

Just as Lance thought that, Keith turned, and he saw Lance. The two made eye contact, and Lance stared back. But he couldn't maintain it. Pushing himself off against the railing, Lance turned away to go back to his seat. Hunk and Pidge had been talking up a storm, and Lance was happy to see the two getting along so well.

"—and so when I ran the scan I had to reprogram it to find the file I had accidentally  
locked away, so now my once impenetrable computer is penetrable only by a virus on my computer that is impenetrable to everyone else!" Pidge said as Lance sat down. Lance blew a raspberry, unwrapping a watermelon flavored cavehopper crunch. 

"You guys are nerds, we're at a pro-bending match! No more computers, I can't take it."

"Oh please, Lance, you're one to talk about being nerdy!" Pidge shot back.

"Do you think those are real cavehoppers?" Hunk asked a loud out of nowhere. All three of them looked at the bag for a moment.

"Nah," all of the agreed at once. 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE NOW BEGIN THE FIRST ROUND BETWEEN THE RED PANTHER-LIONS AND THE CATFISH ALLIGATORS!" A voice screamed, catching the attention of Lance and his friends. Lance felt him squirm in excitement. 

"Round one!" The ref called, ringing a hippo-cow bell in his hand. "Begin!" 

Lance watched with amazement as the fighting began. His senses were overridden with the sounds— the rocks sliding out of their holes, the water being pulled from their banks, and the fires roaring to life. Lance could taste that crunchy watermelon cavehopper, the cinnamon hot fire gummies, and the salty seal jerky. His eyes watched every movement as fast as he could follow. He wondered how the commentators managed to follow along so well. There was so much going on, but somehow Lance was able to understand all of it comfortably, and his eyes were locked onto the arena stage.

And while the worst part about Lance being suddenly aware of everything was how the arena smelled. But the smell of sweaty fans and unclean seats was only part of the experience. 

But if there was one thing that made Lance uncomfortable, it was how much his burns itched when he saw Keith firebending. He knew Hunk and Pidge noticed, and he was grateful they didn't ask.

"I'm, uh, I'm going to take a closer look," Lance announced, standing up and returning to his spot at the rails. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there, but he didn't care in the slightest. 

He resisted the urge to itch, and resolved to freezing his own hands together to stop. He knew he could unfreeze them without even trying, but it made him feel like he had some control.

And besides, he liked watching Keith. In light of his team, Keith looked even more like a pro. Lance would usually call an unlimited supply of fire an advantage, but even if he were limited in his shots, Lance knew Keith could make them work.

Lance could see some improvement of the other benders as well. Together, they were managing to push back the other team. It looked like a struggle, but Lance saw their raw passion.

Keith seemed different though. Less forceful. He was holding back, Lance could tell even from over here. Lance glanced at his forearms. No, it couldn't...

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Lance started screaming. "HEY MULLET JERK STOP HOLDING BACK!" He knew Keith heard him because his head snapped right in the direction of Lance. Lance was surprised Keith had even heard him, but he knew it wasn't only his voice reaching that jerk. Even though his body was screaming at him to stop, Lance continued to cheer Keith on. 

"COME ON RED PANTHER-LIONS! SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU GOT!" Lance could see Keith's change in bending. It was more free and impulsive. Exactly what the team needed to take their victory. 

When the last bender fell, the bell rang, signaling the Red Panther-Lions' win during the first round. Lance hooted along with the other fans. 

Lance was cheering so much, he was almost hoarse. He decided to buy some cherry flavored icicles. He nibbled on it like a rabbit as he cheered.

Eventually after the final round (and a bunch of snacks bought) he made his way back to Pidge and Hunk. "They won!" He said, almost astounded. "They won, they won, they won!"

Hunk laughed. "We know, dude, we saw it, too." Lance didn't know why he was excited, but he had take a sudden liking to pro-bending. He blamed some of it on Pidge, most of it on Hunk, and even a small bit on Keith. 

"How long do they have before the next competition?" Lance asked Pidge.

"Well, this is usually the hardest round. Two competitions is a row is pretty tough to pull. They usually allow a 15 minuet break." 

Lance was buzzing in his seat. Did he want to see Keith's ass kicked or cheer him on? He was too excited to think, and decided on both. Either way, he won, so Lance was fine with it. 

"Dude, you ate like four of those boxes last time you came here, is that even healthy?"  
Pidge asked Lance, gesturing to the box of cavehoppers.

"Totally, I got apple flavor this time, and you know what what the say! An apple flavored box of cavehoppers a game keeps the bending fans sane!" 

"Lance, seriously, we're worried about you." Hunk said grimly. Lance ate another cavehopper.

"Okay, but how fucked up would it be if these were actual cavehoppers?"  
Lance asked. Hunk looked like he was trying not to vomit in his mouth. 

"Lance that's—" Lance interrupted him by shushing him.

"It's back on!" Keith was back on the court, except he had switched sides so that his back was now to Lance. 

Lance looked at the other team. Ever since he saw Keith bending two weeks ago, Lance had been preparing himself to see more of his classmates in these competitions. He almost wondered why they weren't here. But he didn't see any familiar faces.

The announcer was shouting into the mic in the booth. Lance was too focused on the center of the competition, though. He was stuffed hopper after hopper into his mouth as he watched Keith skillfully knock back an earthbender. At the same time, the opposing team's water bender sent a blast of water straight into the Red Panther-Lion's waterbender's face. Lance wondered if he'd ever be bothered to learn their names, and thought back to when Keith didn't even know who Lance was.

Lance pushed those thoughts away as Keith's earth bender shot a disc in the stomach of the opposing firebender, sending him skidding towards the edge. The firebender was clutching onto the edge of the arena and somehow pulled themselves up.

"What?" Lance screamed. "He was basically knocked out! That can't be fair!" 

Keith made a large ball of fire in his hands, but before he could shot it, the opposing water bender shot water into Keith's hand, making the ball explode in his face. Keith stumbled back, clearly dazed. A flying disc hit him in the chest, knocking him and the water bender into the last tier. 

Lance found himself biting his nails anxiously, resisting all urges to scream. In the back of his mind, he could his his mother and father telling him about the etiquette of a nobleman. Don't scream, Lance, it's not polite.

Fuck it, Lance thought. "COME ON KEITH, OR, AH, YUEN! GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS!" 

"I've never seen him so into something," Hunk said quietly to Pidge. "Sure he gets excited whenever he's at a show competition, but this is a whole new level." Pidge frowned.

"What is a show competition?" They asked. Hunk gapped at them.

"D-do you guys know have that in Bae Sing Se?" Pidge shook their head. Hunk was bewildered. Maybe it was city thing. Not to mention it was almost specific for waterbenders. Earth benders were usually at an unfair disadvantage with their inflexibility and bulky bending. 

"Basically, benders put on these awesome dances using their bending and special effects." Pidge frowned.

"Normally, what you're describing would only be seen in bars in Bae Sing Se." 

"What?" Hunk asked in disbelief. "B-but here it's so... Competitive and serious." Pidge shrugged.

"People in Bae Sing Se are laid back if you're in the right sector. Bending is more of a hobby or game than an art. Pro-bending is as close as Republic City gets to something even close to Bae Sing Se." Hunk had the sudden urge to move straight to Bae Sing Se. He had heard all the stories of the large city. How it was the very last city to be taken by the fire nation, and how eventually became corrupt before turning into a democracy. Most stories weren't good...

"So then what brought you here?" Pidge shifted uncomfortably. Pidge didn't really want to answer, and before they could tell Hunk just that, Lance interrupted them.

"Wait what's happening? Why are they stopping? Is it over?" Lance asked frantically as all six benders approached the center of the platform.

"It's a draw." Pidge said.

"A draw? A tie?" Lance asked, and Pidge nodded. "Well now what? Why aren't they doing anything?" 

"To settle the tie, the ref flips a coin. Whoever calls the coin picks an element, and the benders of that element face off. Whoever wins settles the game." Lance reluctantly acknowledged that if Keith's team were to have a real good shot, they'd have to call Fire. Keith was their best bender, and his team already looked exhausted. They were bickering amongst themselves; Lance could tell from all the way up here that the Red Panther-Lions were going to have a rough time no matter what element was chosen.

"And the call goes to the Serpantcrabs!" They were too far away to been seen, but Lance noticed the team talking, glancing wearily at Keith. 

The team spoke to the ref, and instead of Keith, it was the water bender stepping towards the center of the ring. The opposing water bender did the same, and Lance was almost certain that Keith's pro-bending season was over. 

The two benders were being raised on a stage, and suddenly the entire arena was quiet. The bell that started the very last round was almost deafening. Lance swallowed thickly as he watched the opposing water bender move swiftly, blasting the weaker water bender back. Lance was sure it was over. The other water bender was simply too tired and sore to fight back.

The arena cheered as the water bender fell backwards, and Lance was quiet for the first time in awhile. Keith lost? Suddenly, there was another hush as the opposing water bender got a back full of water and was shoved off the ring. Lance's mouth was hanging open. The water bender, the one that was already injured and disadvantaged in experience, had twisted at the last second, kicked her foot in the air. Just as the opposing bender turned around, she was pushed out 

The bell rang, and Lance shot out of his seat. "HUNK, PIDGE, THEY ACTUALLY DID IT!" Lance screamed, and he could see they were also bewildered. The earth bender embraced the water bender below. The water bender then fell over. Lance's smile almost melted off. 

"Oh no..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Ba Sing Se's became Bae, and I changed it. Like honestly, I might just post the rest and discontinue because holy shit everything good was just lost. I'm so bitter. But I gotta keep on trying ya know. Anyone here have mad Pidge-hacking skills and can recover a lost file from ios because I really need that in my life rn.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys were so nice in comforting me when I lost my files, thank you so much. I rewrote the parts I lost better than ever, and I owe that to you guys! 
> 
> Also, bubbleboobo did fanart of this fic (which was the coolest thing ever) and you guys should check it out:
> 
> http://bubleboobo.tumblr.com/post/148281632732/there-is-energy-all-around-us-the-energy-is-both

Lance found himself backstage of the pro-bending arena. He hadn't meant to sneak back, really, it just sorta... Happened. 

Healers immediately took the water bender off the stage after she nearly collapsed. The earth bender went with them, but Lance noticed Keith walking in the opposite direction, back towards the break room. This, in a way, sparked Lance's curiosity, and that's when a plan started to form.

It took a little digging (and flirting) around to find Keith. Lance was eventually told by a cute guard that Keith was in the training arena. Where that was, Lance had no idea, but he found it eventually after checking door to door. 

He saw the sign before he saw Keith. The word 'Gym' was nailed with large bronze letters on top of two wooden double doors. Lance peeked into though the yellow-tinted windows. The second he saw a mullet, he opened the door and snuck in.

Keith was angry; Lance could tell. He was punching a person-shaped dummy, and Lance could feel the heat from the embers sparking off Keith's fist even all the way from the gym entrance. Lance looked around, noticing the large disc catcher behind stacks of earth bending disc. The large troughs of water that lined the room were still, but reflected the wisps of fire that were igniting in Keith's hand like a blowtorch. Untouched weights were strewn along the floor, most colored with circular green bands. Lance wasn't embarrassed to admit that he was scared to approach Keith. He was in an unfamiliar place with a very, very angry firebender. And he was probably the reason that firebender was angry.

But, Lance knew exactly why he was here. 

Lance shifted his weight uncomfortably on the padded matts that laid across on most of the floor. Lance coughed in his hand awkwardly.

Keith spun around wildly, his fire even more uncontrolled and pooling around his hands. The second he saw Lance, though, the fire went out.

"Oh, it's you," Keith grumbled, turning back to the dummy. He continued to punch it, and Lance winced at how hard and beaten up the dummy looked. He took notice of the scorch marks almost entirely located on the dummy's face. If he wasn't scared of Keith before, Lance was down right terrified of him now. Who even does that? Oh, that's right, Keith Kogane does that!

"Yeah, me, do you remember me?" Lance meant jokingly, but he couldn't help the slight slip of venom. Keith ignored him.

"How could I forget? You got me suspended." Lance grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I never got to say sorry about that, by the way. I didn't mean, well I mean I did, but that's the reason I'm here because you know you haven't been back, and we had that fight—" Keith held up his hand to get Lance to stop rambling, taking note of how Lance's hand flung to the canister of water hanging on his hip. 

"What do you want?" Keith asked sourly. He hated the fact that Lance was scared of him, that he made Lance feel like he needed to be ready to defend himself. Yeah, he maybe had burned Lance, but he wasn't an out of control monster

Keith glanced at the training dummy, and while he was still a little offended, he could see why Lance was on the cautious. 

"I want to join your team," Keith's eye brows shot up, and he almost bursted out laughing. 

"Okay, Lance, seriously this time," Keith said with a huge smile. Lance didn't say anything. Keith started laughing really hard, mostly at the irony.

"Oh my god, you're serious?" Keith asked.

"What's wrong with me joining?" Lance asked, offended. Keith could list a hundred reasons why Lance joining was an incredibly bad idea.

"I thought you were into those dancing shows," Keith said simply, as if reminding him would send Lance away. Lance crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"I won't be allowed in a show till winter," he said bitterly. "You know that."

"And whose fault is that?" Keith snapped back. Lance sighed.

"Listen, after our fight—" Keith couldn't resist the urge to glance at Lance's arm, which were entirely covered by his jacket, "—I realized I was an ass." Keith almost snorted. He laughed to try and cover up the embarrassing sound.

"Shut up and listen to me. Look, you're a good fighter. I'm not. I've always looked down on pro-benders for that reason, but I guess I was really just jealous. I want to learn." 

"Okay, two things; first of all, even if I thought about letting you join, which I'm not, my team already has a water bender." 

"She seemed really hurt. Healers can only do so much before she needs a doctor. Even I could see from where I was sitting she'd need a lot more than a healer." Keith knew Lila was hurt, but he wasn't too sold on the idea that she wasn't coming back. How he treated her, well, Keith guessed he really wouldn't blame her if she did quit. "Look, fact remains, you have a competition in two weeks and no water bender." Keith frowned.

"Why? Why are you telling me this? Why are you even here? I burned you, Lance. You came to help me, and I burnt you." Lance swallowed thickly, wondering if he heard some ounce of remorse. He must have imagined it.

In all honesty, Lance didn't know why he was here either. All he knew was that he saw his shot for somethine, something that was calling to him, and he'd be damned if he was going to miss it. 

"Just two weeks to train me, your water bender will be back by then." Lance said. Keith thought for a moment. After a long while, he sighed.

"Do you still have detention?" Lance shook his head. "Then I want you here at 2:30 sharp, we have the gym till 5." Lance resisted the urge to smile. Not knowing what to do next, Lance just stood there. Keith went back to punching the dummy. 

"I saw you take that hit back there. With the disc?" 

"There were a lot of discs, what's you point?" Lance made a face at him, but he knew that Keith couldn't see him.

"My point is you still haven't been healed." 

"I don't need to be, pain makes you stronger." Lance rolled his eyes at how cliche he sounded.

"Well, dipshit, lucky for you, I'm a certified healer. I'm not very experienced, but even I know enough that what you just said was stupid, even for you. I can heal you."

Keith took a break from punching the dummy to a pulp. "No, now go away." Lance reached into the troughs, water surrounding his hands and glowing bright blue.

"At the very least, it'll take the soreness away." He turned back to Keith, and when he saw the look on Keith's face he faltered and the water fell to the ground. Keith was glaring at him, his eyes angry. For some reason, this made Lance's heart speed up, but not in a good way. Lance swallowed.

"Okay, I'll go..." Lance said slowly, bending the water off the ground back into the trough. Keith didn't say anything as he went back to punching the dummy. 

 

Lance stared at the sink in his bathroom. Should he wrap his arms or no? Would he look edgy and cool with his scars or pitiful? Maybe he should put some more face moisturizer on. He had already flossed, but a second round would pick up anything he had missed. 

Lance decided against the flossing but he lathered his hands in lotion before wrapping his arms and grabbing his bag. Sometimes, Lance felt like an overgrown middle schooler. He didn't feel 21, he felt 11. Normally people his age had jobs, even families. Lance was still living at home and going to school.

Lance bit his lip. Maybe Hunk was right, they kept acting like kids, and they needed to act like adults. 

He walked out of his bedroom, meeting his mom in the kitchen. "Lance, baby, want a Mickey Possum-Mouse Pancake?" 

Lance puffed out his chest. "No thanks, mom, I'm not hungry." Score 1 for Adult Lance. 

Lance kissed her cheek quickly and left to meet Hunk outside his house. "Hey, Hunk," he said, trying to be formal. He was a nobleman, after all. A bending nobleman who was now also a pro-bender in secret.

"Hey, dude," Hunk said simply. "Where'd you disappear to last night? Pidge and I couldn't find you." Lance grinned at Hunk. Gripping his sleeve he pulled Hunk closely.

"I went to talk to Keith afterward," he said in a whisper.

"Please don't tell me you got into another fight." Hunk groaned, rubbing his temples at the thought of it.

"No. Well, almost, but that's not the point! You're looking at the new Red Panther-Lion's waterbender." Hunk's jaw almost smacked the ground. Lance smiled smugly at him, closing his jaw for him.

"No way," was all Hunk could imagine. 

"Yes way! I start training today." Hunk suddenly started tugging at his hair.

"Dude, I take you to one competition and suddenly everything is out the window. What about your shows?" Lance still hadn't told Hunk about being banned.

"Don't worry, I'll manage." Hunk just sighed.

"I swear, I age ten years every time you say that." 

"Listen Hunk; I'm a new man! More responsibility. Soon, you're going to notice the changes. My eyes will be more dead inside, my head squarer, and I'll probably even stop shaving my face for the full adult-beard expirence." Hunk snorted.

"Good luck with that," he said.

"Where I'm going, Hunk, I won't need luck."

 

"That was the most pathetic thing I have ever seen," Keith remarked. Lance wished he hadn't turned down Hunk's luck. He was sweating heavily, having been practicing for over an hour. Keith was relentless. He hadn't managed to get one positive comment from Keith. So yeah, a little luck would have been nice.

"You're not even a water bender, how would you know?" Lance asked, annoyed. That was all Keith has been saying since they started. 'This is pathetic', 'You're not even trying', 'Gett you're head out of the clouds', and so on and so forth.

"Oh, I'm sorry, maybe you should find a pro-water bender instead. Join their team." Lance huffed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. He felt sticky and gross. He tried to waterbend the sweat off of him, but Keith wouldn't let him.

"You need to learn to deal with being sweaty because you aren't going to be allowed sweat breaks out there!" Keith had said. Lance knew how to bend and be sweaty. He just didn't like it.

"If you're joining my team, I want you solely on defenses. You aren't ready for anything offensive." Lance glared at him. He joined to learn how to fight, not to learn how to defend himself. He was sure he already knew that.

"Again," Keith said. Their training consisted of Lance shooting globs of water into any fire that Keith shot at him. His job was to catch anything being flown their way. Even if he was the last in the ring, if his defense was good, a draw could be made and they would have a chance. 

"I know what your water walls look like, and they are less than adequate," Lance didn't need the reminder. He had convinced Keith to let him wear his long sleeved shirt. He wasn't ready for people to see his scars yet. Specifically, he wasn't ready for Keith to see his scars yet.

He touched his arms unconsciously, and it didn't go unnoticed. 

"Let me see what you got." Keith said, taking a stance. He shot two balls of fire straight towards Lance's face. Lance wrapped his arms around him and swung out. Two long streams of water intercepted the balls of fire, extinguished them. Keith sent another shot low on the ground using his feet. Using both of his arms, Lance used the water to redirect the fire and pulled upward, creating a wave of water and he pushed it towards Keith forcefully. Keith cut through the wall of water easily, jumping through a hole he created with his fire. But he didn't account for Lance already knowing he'd do this. 

With one arm, Lance swiped at Keith's legs, toppling him over. Before he could fall, Lance shot him with his other arm, a pump of forceful water knocking Keith forcefully back. 

Lance safely assumed he won that round. Putting all the access water back, Lance walked briskly over to Keith, giving him a hand.

Keith stared at Lance's hand before grabbing it, legs swiping Lance's feet out from under him. 

Normally, Keith would let his opponent fall as he twisted over with his hand to the opponent's face in checkmate. This wasn't a pro-bending move, but Keith used it nonetheless.

He didn't let Lance his the ground, though. He wouldn't hear he end of it if he did, and so Keith swopped down, catching Lance in his arms.

Keith was suddenly aware of the mistake he had made.

Lance was blushing a horrible shade of red, only inches away from Keith's face. He gripped at the sleeves of Keith's shirt, his finger's brushing his bare arms. Keith's arm was wrapped around his waist, the other dangerously close to holding Lance's head. 

Keith dropped Lance suddenly. Lance landed harshly with a squeak. "That, uh, isn't a pro-bending move. I was just testing it, for future class reference. Because you know. Garrison." 

Lance was laying on his back, breathing heavily. Oh god, Lance thought. Again, he was so close. Lance wasn't sure what was faster, his train of thought or his heart beat. Keith just pulled a cheesy Twilight move on him. Maybe Keith was a wolfbat like Edward... It would make sense.

"Hey, uh," Lance began, rubbing his sore head. "Where'd you learn to fight? Garrison is very show oriented. I've never seen someone fight like you do." That was a lie, Lance had seen little kids fights like Keith did in the ring. But something about the way Keith did seemed so... Professional and well-practiced.

Lance wrinkled his nose in disgust as he watched Keith use the water troughs to wash his face. He must have known how nasty the water was, it's been on the floor all day. 

"My brother," Keith said after awhile. "He's a metal-bender, ex-cop." Something about the way Keith said it told Lance that that was as far as he was going to get with that question.

"Let's take a break!" Lance announced. Keith frowned, turning to face him.

"What? No; we can take a break when we're done training." Lance wasn't listening to him.

"You wanna know why shows are so fun?" He asked.

"Not really, no," Lance ignored Keith.

"Because music, bending, and dancing all together is fun. It's still training, but it's enjoyable. You won't get a lot of bruises from shows." Lance gestured to the purple and yellow blotches from last night over Keith's arms and peeking above his collar. 

"I don't care," Keith said simply. 

"C'mon, really quick. Show me one if your shows. Garrison has a show class, Keith; I know you're in it." He said flatly. Keith blushed.

"I-I dropped it." 

"Bullshit, hand me my phone." Keith did what he said, and Lance put on his radio. Of course, it was set to Shrek, Keith thought to himself. He really wondered how someone who's first song plays is part of the Shrek soundtrack managed to be one of if not the best show-benders in the world. 

A song started playing; one Lance was pretty new to, but he was confident enough in his bending to let him do whatever and still look impressive. It's simply my personality to excel at all things bending, Lance thought cockily.

"Oh, you've got to he fucking kidding me," Keith said. "This is Shrek!" Lance shushed him. 

"Just watch," it was Living La Vida Loca. While Shrek was a non-bending story, it was easy to bend to, and Lance was going to prove it. 

He motioned for Keith to step back. "While Republic City isn't very ice friendly, it's kinda my show thing," Lance said, stepping onto the trough. It froze under him instantly.

Lance created a wave of water, have it flood lightly over the floor. He froze the water, creating a thin layer of ice on the mats that he would dance on. The wave was frozen for show, and small amounts of water continued to trickle over as Lance slide down the wave, and onto his ice platform. 

He offered his hand to Keith. "Um, fire melts ice?" Keith stated simply. Lance shrugged, and started dancing. 

While Keith was the first to admit that he didn't understand anything about shows or their appeal, there was something compelling about watching Lance bend and dance. But Lance on ice and dancing was a recipe for disaster when Keith was involved. Already below him the ice began to melt under Keith's feet.

Simply put, Lance looked like an ice spirit. He glided along the ice, walls of water moving rhythmically with him, almost as if they were separated entities dancing with him. 

Lance would switch from his normal bending to just gliding, or sometimes doing a non-bending dance. He hips were doing most of the work, Keith noted. He felt bad for Lance's hips, even. And his legs, too. Keith came to the conclusion that Lance was just taking advanatge... Of himself? No, Keith wasn't at all making excuses as to why Lance was such a good show-bender. Well in reality, Keith was, but he would never admit that.

Eventually, Lance skidded towards Keith, grabbing his hands without waiting for him to consent. The water Lance was bending had all fallen and frozen, and now it was only Lance. Lance and Keith...

There was a new song on. One that started slow and melancholy. "I don't know how to ice skate!" Keith said, his legs wobbling.

"Don't worry, you have a master show competitor next to you. You won't fall." Somehow Keith was not reassured. The song sped up, and Keith could see that Lance knew every beat and note in this song. Lance began to dance more intricatly. He was spinning now, streams of water following him like banners, and at the center, Keith stood motionless. Lance skated over to Keith, spinning him around, and the fire bender found himself being pulled around by the water bender. There was a moment where Lance let go, and Keith almost froze.

"You got this," hesitantly, Keith started to bend his own fire. He had to admit it was pretty amazing to see how the fire sparkled against the ice. Keith wasn't sure what to do, but he just tried to keep it as simple as possible. 

"You're getting it!" Lance cheered. He looked up at Keith, and that's when Keith noticed that the ice was melting. How was Lance still skat— 

Just as Keith was thinking that, Lance hit a patch if unfrozen water, making the mat wet and slippery. 

"Whoa!" Lance yelled, falling on his face. 

Keith had a hard time maneuvering on the ice. He tried to scuttle towards Lance, and eventually, he fell down as well. Keith was going to say something snarky about how he knew this was a bad idea, but before he could, Lance started laughing.

Keith listened to him laugh, turning his head to look at him. Lance had flipped himself on his back and was clutching his stomach.

"God, that was so fun!" Keith couldn't help but start smiling himself. 

"Lance, I'd hate to burst your laughing bubble and all, but I don't know how to get up," even Keith started laughing at his own helplessness. 

Snorting, Lance stood up. "I wonder if I should help you, I kinda like it when I'm over here and you're stuck over there." 

Keith was grinning by now. "I will get you back if you leave me here." Lance was tempted to take him up on that, but a prank war with Keith sounded like suicide. 

Lance eventually melted all the water. He decided that he would keep Keith in his own puddle of water, though, as he bended everything back. He was dry in a matter of seconds. 

He snickered obnoxiously at Keith.

"You're an ass," was all Keith said.

"You had fun," Lance said. Keith would rather die than admit that. Lance grabbed his phone, turning off the music. "Although I must say, you dance like a pro-bender. Why didn't you use show-bending?" Keith shrugged. Truth be told, Keith had no rhythm or dance moves whatsoever. He was awful at shows in the same way Lance was bad at pro-bending. Not to mention he hated being in shows. It had only taken one show to make Keith realize that. But even Keith had to admit it was fun and maybe it wasn't as pretentious as he remembered. 

He decided that Lance didn't need to know any of that. 

"We have over an hour left, Lance, lets get back to training you. If we're lucky, you might make some actual progress today."

 

Pro-bending and show-bending were what Lance called exact opposites. He learned that the hard way. Show bending was about the essence of bending, the spiritual side of the bender. It was all about exaggeration, slow movements, and fluidness.

Pro-bending was a stark difference. The only spirit was the aggression of winning. Each move was as quick as it was precise. There was nothing fancy at all. Lance had come to realize that pro-bending was an entirely different aspect of bending. But it wasn't a bad aspect, and it was has equally as important as the spiritualness that came with show-bending.

Training with Keith was the harshest reality Lance had ever faced. He felt like a chewed up fire gummy, a melted flavor icicle, an unflavored cave hopper, a soaked piece of seal jerk—

"Lance! Pay attention!" Lance's eye snapped up to see his teacher leaning over his desk. "I asked you a question!" Lance bit his lip; he had been zoning out the entire class period, and he had no idea what the teacher had even asked.

"I'm sorry, what?" The entire class erupted in a fit of giggles, and Lance sunk into his seat. 

"I was asking you about the aspects of metal-bending. Why is it such a rare ability?" Lance had no clue. He knew he face betrayed this fact as well.

"Um... Because it's new?" The class laughed again. 

"Lance," his teacher obviously didn't appreciate him winding up the class. "Honestly, what is up with you? You used to know all my questions." Lance didn't know if it was rhetorical or not, so he stayed quiet. 

She sighed and went back to teaching the class, and Lance could feel his face burning. She was right. Normally, Lance would have known that answer. He made anything and everything bending-oriented his business. But suddenly, all he could think about was pro-bending. He had even began arguing about which was better, pro-bending or shows.

That's how Lance knew he was really into deep shit. It hadn't even been a week since Lance started training and not only was it kicking his ass, Lance couldn't stop thinking about it.

And with that being said, the same could be said of his new trainer. Keith had already explained his new weekend rigorous plan sheet. Lance had never heard of waking up before six on a weekend, but if he wasn't out the door and doing a morning jog by six, than Keith was going to make him run laps on Monday. And Lance was almost sure that the morning run was the easiest thing on the list. 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Frowning, Lance took it out and glanced at it.

"What a Hunk❤️ : dude whats up with u"

Lance glanced up across the room at Hunk, but Hunk wasn't looking at him. 

"Nothing, just thinking about this weekend." He sent back.

He put his phone back in his pocket. He glanced at Keith's empty chair. He still wondered why Keith hadn't been back. By now, everyone would be more surprised if he actually showed rather than skipped again. Lance hadn't gotten around to asking him why he was ditching or if he ever planned on coming back. 

"What a Hunk❤️: Whats this weekend?"

Lance had long learned how to type without looking at his screen, which really came in handy as he was almost certain the teacher was trying to make and maintain eye contact with him. 

"Just some training."

Lance tried to discreetly put his phone away. The teacher opened her mouth, and Lance was sure he had been caught when the phone rang. But thankfully, it wasn't his. The teacher answered the phone on her desk with pursed lips. She nodded. "Yes. I'll remove him from roll." Lance stomach dropped. He had a feeling he knew exactly who him was.

Now that he knew that Keith wasn't coming back to Garrison, Lance was left to gaze at his empty seat and wonder what Keith was doing now while Lance was in class. Would he find out this weekend? 

Lance laid his head glumly on his desk. Guess he was finally number one in his class, but he really couldn't have been bothered to care anymore. 

 

"So you're never coming back," Lance said the second he was through the gym doors. Keith looked up at him from the weights he was lifting. He set the bar back on the rack and sat up. 

"To Garrison?" Lance nodded. "No." He laid back down, going to grab the weight again. Lance walked over to him, and took it from him.

"Lance, what are you doing?" Keith asked when Lance held it firmly in his hands. "I'm trying to actually train." 

"Why?" Lance asked, ignoring Keith's protests. 

"Because I don't want to, it's dumb." Keith tried to yank the bar away, but before he could, Lance used the water at his hip to freeze the bar to it's rack.

"It's not dumb, it's the best bending school in the entire city, maybe the entire world." Keith rolled his eyes.

"You're being childish, unfreeze it."

"Not until you tell me why."

"Because I'm more concerned with other things." Keith replied bitterly, melting the ice with his fire. 

"Like what?" Keith was growing more irritated, Lance could see it in the quiver of his mouth.

"Listen Lance, whatever you think we are, just know we aren't. We aren't friends. We aren't even teammates. You're just the replacement. So fuck off somewhere else." Lance opened his mouth to say something back. He didn't realize it, but Keith was right. Lance had thought they were friends, but they weren't. Probably never would be. 

"W-wh—" Lance began to say against his better judgement. He tried not to let what Keith had just said not to hurt him, but he came to realize that what Keith really thought was worse than any burn he could have ever suffered. Lance swallowed, finding his voice. "What would it take for you to trust me?" 

"Damn Lance, this isn't some fairy tail story. Just leave me alone. When Lila comes back, you have to leave." Lance didn't say anything for awhile.

"Whatever, Keith," Lance scoffed. Listening to Keith talk was sickening. Lance wondered why he even wanted to be friends with that jerk. Lance knew he was being a little dramatic, but if there was anyone more dramatic that him it was fucking Keith. 

"Let's just start training," Keith mumbled. 

 

Lance had never done worse than today. He knew a lot of it had to do with Keith. They were both unhinged. Lance was sick of whatever Keith was trying to do. Defense this, defense that. It was fucking boring.

Keith was extra short with him. Despite being new, he expected Lance to know the rules already. Whenever Lance so much as frosted the ground below him, Keith would yell at him, and when Keith yelled at him, Lance only grew angrier causing more ice to creep along the floors. 

"Stop using ice! If you did that in an actual competition you'd have been penalized all the way to zone 3!" What the fuck even was a zone? 

"I know that!" Lance yelled back. "I'm trying here! Not using ice is like asking you to cut off your stupid mullet!" 

"Oh fuck off, Lance! You're obviously not trying, there's ice everywhere! What if we slipped on it? We'd be disqualified and knocked out of the ring!" 

"You're such an asshole, why the hell am I even here?" Lance wondered aloud. 

"I've been asking myself the same question all week." Lance bit the inside of his cheek.

"Okay, fine. You're right, I'm obviously not up for whatever the fuck is this mess! I was right about all you pro-benders. Good luck with your shit storm, asshole," Lance yelled, grabbing his stuff and walking to the doors. He reached for the handle until a blast nearly singed his hand. Lance's eyes widened and sudden his arms began throbbing. He whipped around to see Keith, his jaw set and head held high.

Lance dropped his bag, running towards Keith and screaming. Keith was yelling, too, throwing whips of fire at Lance as Lance retaliated. He pulled up water from the troughs, sending an enormous wave at Keith. Keith blasted a hole through it with his fire, ready for whatever move Lance would try to sneak on him this time.

Keith didn't see Lance though, not until he looked up and saw Lance behind him, riding the wave Keith had just destroyed. 

Lance huffed and suddenly the room lowered 20 degrees and the water around Keith started freezing. Lance sent a blast of water straight at Keith. Keith tried to bat it away with his hand, but Lance froze the water around his hand. Lance bended the ice, allowing him to drag Keith's hand into the trench. Keith was trying to melt the ice, but a water tentacle wrapped itself around his other hand, and Lance plunged Keith's hands into the trough. Lance stalked over to Keith, and the closer he was, the most the frost crept until the entire trough was frozen solid and Keith couldn't bend.

Keith ignited his foot, slamming it into the ice, but it was too thick to break. Lance froze more water around his foot. He had to admit, despite being in a serious fight, Lance thought Keith looked pretty fucking hilarious. 

Lance walked closer to him. He opened his mouth to say something witty, about how the score was even, and how Keith would owe him one if he ever unfroze his stupid hands.

But before he could, Keith rolled his eyes. "You do know the fire benders can breath fire. You could be dead right now," Lance had to admit, while he did know that, he had almost entirely forgotten. They both grew silent. Keith couldn't move, and Lance didn't know if wanted to move. If he had any commonsense, he would've left Keith there for the next waterbender to deal with. But he didn't.

"So... Is this a tie?" Lance asked. Keith was quiet for awhile. 

"Yeah, it's a tie." Lance placed his hand on the freezing ice, and it melted under his hand almost instantly. Keith thought it was funny that it almost looked like fire bending. 

Imagine, Lance being a firebender. Wouldn't that make him the Avatar? Keith almost laughed. The savior of the world: Lance. He sobered a little, watching Lance pull Keith chilled hands from the icy water, and Lance pressed Keith's fingers between his hands. Keith guessed he wouldn't be that bad of an Avatar. Not that he was. At least, Keith didn't think so. The next Avatar would be around Lance's age, but he'd be from the Earth Kingdom... Could he?

"Lance where were you born?" Keith asked suddenly. Lance looked confused. With one hand he bended all the water out of Keith's clothes and hair, and the other was still warming Keith's fingers.

"The Northern Water Tribe, you?" So he wasn't the avatar. Keith took his hands back, well warm enough. Surprisingly, Lance had really smooth hands. Well, actually not surprising. Keith remembered him as being the kid who always came into class smelling like fruit and candy scented lotion.

"Here, born and raised." Keith answered. He rubbed his hands together. "Sorry I keep... Burning you..." Lance looked shocked for a moment.

"Don't worry, you didn't even land a hit." Keith knew that wasn't true, but he was glad for the sentiment.

"Looks like all that training is starting to pay off. Even if it was a draw, and you'd lose instantly in a pro-bending match, that was some skilled bending. You're getting faster."

"Hey, I'm not in the Garrison solely for my looks." Keith snorted.

"Trust me, I know," he smiled. Lance's jaw unhinged.

"You're such an ass," he added, but it was only half-hearted. He gazed down at his own reflection, and Keith watched him thoughtfully, knowing he was going to try and say something. But Lance never said anything back.

"Hey, Lance," Lance looked up at Keith, "I just wanted to um..." He blushed and buried his face. He mumbled something into the collar of his shirt.

Lance gave him in an perplexed look. "What?" He asked.

"I said... I really app..." He mumbled again. Lance sighed.

"Keith, speak up; I can't understand you when you're covering your mouth like that," Lance said flatly. "Honestly, now—"

"I said I really appreciated you filling in for Lila and being my water bender. Even if it means suspension or worse." Lance felt his entire body flood with warmth. So Keith did acknowledge his amazing deeds of selflessness. "That fight was stupid, and— will you stop looking at me like that?" Keith yelled, his face beet read.

Lance was smiling at him like an idiot, and they both knew it. Keith groaned. "I don't even know why I bothered." 

"Y'know, Keith, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was growing on you." Keith pushed Lance away from him, he walked towards the weights, if only to out some distance between the two of them. "No, no, Keith, it's alright. Nothing to be embarrassed about; it happens to the best of people."

He had that dipshit smile, the one Keith couldn't stand. Well, Keith had to admit, when he was the direct receiver of that smile it was that unbearable. But if Lance didn't shut the hell up soon and fast, Keith was going to change his mind.

"I don't care if the team gets disqualified; if you don't quit now, I will kick you off my team," Keith warned, grabbing a water bottle from his locker to distract himself.

"Okay, but on the subject of the team, why Red Panther-Lions? Like why not just Panther-Lions? Or even better: Blue Panther-Lions." When Lance saw Keith's unamused face, he backtracked. "Okay, no blue? How about purple? You know water and fire! Blue and red. Purple...?" He trailed off once he realized Keith wasn't listening.

"It'll grow on him," Lance said under his breath.

 

"Alright! A night on the town! I'm so ready!" Lance shouted to his group despite already having their full attention. Pidge was smiling up at Lance, and Shay was beaming at him shyly with her hand clasped inside of Hunk's.

They were eating out at a restaurant downtown with a really pretty jazz singer and great drinks. Lance was in love when he first saw her. Or it, yeah, it. He wasn't crushing on the jazz singer, he was talking about the restaurant. Yeah, the restaurant. What was it called again? 

Lance was easily the most underdressed of the four. He was wearing blue jeans, a plain t-shirt, and his thick green jacket. He had no idea that they were picking a nice restaurant. Back when it was only Lance and Hunk, a night out meant they'd buy ice cream and make fun of whatever dramatic movie posters they found on the streets downtown.

Shay looked the nicest of them all. She had her brown hair tied in a bun, gold earrings dropping from her ears, and a plain black dress. Her gold eyes contrasted with the white beads she had put in her hair. Not to mention she was easily the most well-mannered. Lance had to admit: no one suited Hunk better than Shay. It only took them 10 years to figure out.

Even Pidge, who Lance was convinced only had three different outfits, was wearing the nicest of the three. They groomed their hair. Globs of what Lance had assumed was hair gel streaked Pidge's hair. They had even wiped their glasses clean, and it was strange to actually see Pidge's eyes and not their grubby finger prints on the lenses. 

Hunk was obviously dressed up for Shay, and Lance couldn't look at them without endearingly wanting to puke. He never thought he'd see the day that Hunk wore a button up and blazer and leave his headband at home. It was truly a sight to behold.

Lance obviously was the only one to miss the attire memo. 

Lance nudged Pidge with his elbow, interrupting whatever it was the Pidge did on their phone.

"Lovebirds, am I right?" Lance asked, covering his mouth and pointing towards Hunk and Shay feeding each other garlic fries. 

"What's this I heard about you being a pro-bender?" Pidge asked suddenly. Lance went ridged. Pidge pushed their glasses back up their nose, not breaking eye contact. 

"Yeah, I joined that guy's team last week. Yuen or whatever." Shay suddenly sighed blissfully. 

"I'd kill to meet Yuen! He's such a great fire bender. I still can't believe he lost his very first competition of the season." She seemed absorbed in her thoughts, and Hunk tried not to look jealous. 

"Well I mean, he can't be that great, right, Lance?" Hunk asked. 

"Absolutely! His real name is Keith, and he's a jerk. Do you want to know how often we fight? And he won't change the team name from red! That's so unfair. And he's got a stupid mullet, and he believes sweat makes people stronger! And get this, right before we finished training last night, he told me to lay off the cavehoppers! I've never been more insulted!" Lance rambled. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of Keith. Keith and his shitty rough hands, his knuckles cracked from when he obviously was hitting a punching bag without protection, and his anxiously bitten nails. Honestly, the boy was a mess!

"So when do we get to meet him?" Pidge asked. Lance snapped out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" He asked unintelligently.

"When do we meet him?" Lance never said anything about them meeting, did he? How sure was he that Keith actually knew how to talk to more than two people at once? 

"Um... Never? Trust me, you guys don't wanna meet him," Lance said hastily. 

"Lance, what's up dude? Not even two days ago you wouldn't shut up about the dude." Hunk asked, everyone smiling at Lance slyly. Lance was blushing and sputtering.

"Um, no I wasn't? I was, uh... Oh would you look at that our food is here!" Lance exclaimed as a platter of Turtle Lobster was placed in front of him. "Gotta say, miss the Northern Water Tribe food!" Lance said as he cracked open the shell expertly and started stuffing his face with meat.

"Really though, we want to meet him." Pidge said, digging into their own yakisoba. Lance took a deep breath, putting down his silverware for a moment.

"Alright, I'll talk to him tomorrow. Maybe you guys can come over while we train on Monday." Lance said.

"You see him on weekends, too? Jeez, take a break from him. People might think you got a crush on him or something," Hunk said, smiling at Lance. He suddenly turned very pink and very embarrassed. The entire booth felt the air around them chill as Lance's high emotions started making the moisture in the air freeze. 

This typically happened when Lance was experiencing a lot of emotion he didn't know what to do with. Why he was so flustered, Hunk didn't really know, but he had a feeling. 

"Lance, literally, it's freezing come on," Pidge complained. 

"Sorry, sorry," he looked glumly at his turtle lobster, seeing as the hot and steamed to perfection platter from just a few seconds ago was replaced by a nearly frozen lob-sicle. 

"Hey," Lance said suddenly. "Think I can get that lady's number?" Lance gestured to the lady singing seductively in the stage. She wore a tight green glittery dress with a slit along her leg and a thick fur scarf draped long enough to almost touch the ground.

"Lance, no, not again," Hunk sighed.

"Don't worry, Hunk; I'm a pro-bender, now. Girls dig that stuff, right?" Shay laughed as Lance walked up. Pidge was watching curiously, and Hunk began rubbing his temples. He had seen this too many times to be surprised what happens next.

 

"Okay, but remember," Lance said, walking backwards through the Pro-bending arena hallway. "Keith is like a bunny. A blood-thirsty, fire-bending bunny. He scares easily." 

Lance turned around and pushed open the double wooden doors. He wasn't surprised to find Keith already in there, but before he even saw him, Lance knew something was wrong.

Frowning and momentarily forgetting his friends were right behind him, Lance rushed to Keith's side as the angry boy slammed his locker close. "Keith, what's wrong? Why're you upset?" He talked to him steadily and quietly, not noticing that Hunk, Pidge, and Shay had already followed him inside.

"It's Chen!" Keith growled, obviously aware that the two of them weren't alone. The others awkwardly stood behind Lance, shifting their weight around and looking anywhere but Keith. Even Shay, who had been so excited to see 'Yuen', was quiet.

"Be more specific; I don't know who that is."

"Our earth bender! He's quitting the team. He and Lila are... They're both leaving." Lance bit his lip, unsure of what to do. 

"Well that's perfectly alright. You have me already, right?" Keith rolled his eyes.

"Lance, I know you're trying to help, but you can't earthbend and waterbend." Keith sighed deeply. "I'll figure something out."

"No, Keith, you aren't listening. You have me. I can be you're water bender. And you're in luck, we have an earth bender with us in the room right now!" Keith looked at Lance questioning. Lance grabbed Hunk's arm, and pulled the two boys closer together. 

"You can train him, right? He's a great earth bender! It's a family trait and everything." Keith looked unsure, but even more so, Hunk looked like that was totally out of the question.

"Uh, Lance, I don't wanna rain on your parade, but I'm not even a good show bender. And I'm sure as heck am not a pro-bender. Besides, aren't you worried about, oh I don't know, being expelled?"

"Pff," Lance said, dismissing the thought. "Expel, scmell, whatever."

"No, I'm serious, Lance. I don't want to do it," Hunk said. 

"Come on, just one game! We'll be disqualified." Lance begged. 

"Lance, lay off, if he doesn't want to join, he doesn't have to," Keith told Lance, and Lance pursed his lips in annoyance. "Besides, the game is only a week away, and you still need a lot of work yourself. Training the both of you will be hard."

"Hunk can do it!" Lance had almost forgotten Shay was in the room until she stepped up, putting her hand on Hunk's shoulder. "He's the strongest earth bender I know. And, he's a fast learner," Lance could see Hunk melting with her works.

"Thanks, Shay," Hunk said, smiling up at her. "But regardless—"

"I mean, like Lance said Saturday, being a pro-bender is a girl's weakness." Shay battered her eyelashes at Hunk. Lance coughed awkwardly into his fist at the mention of his name. God, he could feel their love all the way from where he was standing. He glanced at Keith, and he could almost swear the cold bastard was smiling. 

Hunk sighed. "Just one?" Lance jumped on Hunk, consuming him into a gigantic bear hug. They were both laughing as Hunk stumbled and the two fell down.

"Me and you, buddy!" Lance cheered. He looked up at Keith. "Does this mean I don't have to keep playing defense anymore?"

 

"Now I have no idea about earth-bending, but like I told Lance, the main key is to stay light on your feet. You want to be able to make decisions in seconds. This is harder for earth benders because stance is so centered, but if you think of this more like boxing or wrestling than a show or demonstration, than you'll get the gist of it very quickly," Keith explained to Hunk patiently. He demonstrated what he meant by bouncing on the tips of his toes, feigning two under cuts. "Remember, don't hesitate. Hit quick and hit fast." 

Lance was watching from the bench next to Shay and Pidge, sprawled out and chewing on a water bottle nozzle. Shay was watching the both of them work earnestly, and Lance could see she was trying to resist running up and hugging both Keith and Hunk.

"I can't believe Hunk is a pro-bender!" She gushed. "I wonder how well he's going to do! It's a shame you Garrison kids can't do this stuff normally, it's so exciting. And I'm certain Hunk's family would like to see him here, as well."

"I still can't believe Keith is actually being nice," Lance exclaimed. "He's never this patient with me!"

"Hunk didn't get me suspended!" Keith called back. Lance shrugged his shoulders. 

"Yeah, I kinda deserve that," he said.

"And what are you even doing? Aren't you supposed to be like, whipping water or whatever water benders do?" Keith asked. Lance sighed, shaking his water bottle.

"I'm getting hydrated, that's the most important aspect of water bending," Lance replied. Keith rolled his eyes before turning back to work with Hunk.

"Are you sure it's okay to just sit around when the game is next week? Keith sounded pretty sure that you suck at this," Pidge asked. Lance sat up, baffled and offended.

"Why, I've never! I can perfectly hold my own in a round."

"You really can't," Keith called back, not looking away from Hunk. In a softer voice to Hunk, Keith spoke again. "Now, I'm going to send some bending at you. You're job is to protect this dummy and make sure he doesn't get burnt." Hunk nodded, readying the Earth bending discs. 

Keith sent two blasts towards the dummy, both swiftly after the next. Hunk slide in front of the dummy using two discs to block the blasts. He sent them right back.

Keith using his fire bending to deflect the rocks. "Damn," Keith winced, "you hit hard."

"Sorry," Hunk said, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Don't apologize, this is what we want! Now a word of advice: never slide in front of another player unless you have devised a plan already. If you get shot out, you'll take them with you. Or worse, they'll be bending and you'll be the one hit." Hunk nodded.

"It's a good strategy, but maybe when we've trained a lot more."

"Y'know, Keith, you're not at all how I pegged you to be," Hunk admitted as he and Keith moved onto the disc net. Hunk began throwing more discs into the giant net. His aim was off, but he was improving.

"And how's that?" Keith asked with a frown. "Has dumbass been spreading rumors about me?" He glared back at Lance who was showing Pidge and Shay some of the new water bending moves he had learned the past week.

"No... Well, yes, but I'm talking about something else. We met before, remember? Three weeks ago, at the park?" Keith would have rather not to remember. "You seemed really cold and insensitive back there. It's nice that Lance got to know this side of you."

"What side?" Keith asked, genuinely curious. He had never taken himself for a multi-layered type of guy.

"Well for one, Lance got you in huge trouble, but here you are, teaching him and his friends about pro-bending."

"Well, Lance didn't really go unscathed, either. I think we're even." Keith replied shortly.

"Hey, Hunk! Check me out!" Lance called suddenly. Lance was incased in a perfect cube of ice. "I'm an Lance-flavored ice cub!" 

"Oh, Jesus." Keith hissed. "That's it. My career is over." Hunk patted his arm reassuringly.

"Hey guys, I actually don't know if I can get out of this. My fingers are going numb..." Lance called until Pidge pushed him over. Hunk winced, and looked away. He wondered if his pro-bending career would be over before it even started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me two hours ;^;b but it was fun! So please enjoy!
> 
> I just realized the when a bold or italicize things in different formats (like notes which I no longer use RIP Files 2k16) that they don't transfer. So I'm going to try and fix that tonight! Usually all the texts are bolded, but now they're not so... Yeah I'm gonna bold it. 
> 
> ((Why r my notes so awkward oh glob))


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My ADD is kicking my ass, guys (⊙ᗜ⊙). Is that emoji too much? I feel like it's too much. Regardless, because I'm having difficultly actually sitting down and writing continuesously (my friends like to text me when and only when I start writing) I think my chapters will be more spaced out in updates. And they're super long, idk why but like it just happens sometimes. Anyways: Enjoy!
> 
> I also figured out how to italicize and bold so there's that!

It was Shay's idea to get milkshakes after training. Originally, Keith was dead set against it. He had been so busy training Lance and Hunk that he didn't have any time to train himself, and he had planned to make up for it tonight.

But he found himself smushed in a booth between Lance and Pidge, drinking a vanilla milkshake, and watching Shay feed Hunk spoonfuls of their shared banana split.

Lance had warned Keith about this; that Hunk had amazing persuasive skills. "He could get anyone to do anything; he even used it on me to go to that pro-bending match!"

Keith didn't even know Hunk that well, but it only took a reassuring arm wrapped around his shoulders, one smile, and three sentences to get Keith to go. Keith didn't even remember walking to the ice cream parlor. It was like he woke from a haze and suddenly found himself surrounded by Lance and his friends.

Keith had wasn't even a quarter way through his milkshake when Pidge knocked their milkshake over and had to buy a new one. And after that, Lance began to show off for two girls who had just walked in with his 'milkshake bending'.

After three milkshake snowmen and a car later, the girls finally tore themselves away from Lance and ordered their milkshakes. They promptly left, and it was easy to see they were not impressed with Lance.

So yeah, this wasn't the strangest milkshake run Keith had ever been on. 

"Dang, what's a guy gotta do to impress people these days?" Lance asked, chewing on his cherry. Shay laughed at him.

"If it's to any consolation, Lance, I thought it was impressive," Lance smiled at her sincerely. He sighed.

"If only every other person in this world was as kind as you, Shay," he said. He nudged Keith, who promptly glared at him. "You should learn to be nice like Shay." Keith snorted.

"I'll be nice the day you stop being a dumbass," Lance looked at him in shock, even though this wasn't all out of the norm for Keith. He held his hand to his chest.

"Why, I've never! And after all I've done for you," Keith rolled his eyes.

"When you keep bringing it up, it defeats the purpose of it being a favor." Lance turned back to his milkshake, chewing on the straw.

"One day I'm going to be a famous water bender, and only Shay will get a share in my fortune."

"I thought you said using bending for fame and fortune was shallow and an abuse of a privilege," Hunk said with a sly smile. Lance knew Hunk was making a jab at all the smack Lance had been talking about pro-benders since joining the Garrison."

"Hey, I'm just here to drink my milkshake!" Lance defended.

"So," Pidge said hushly, changing the mood immediately, "have you guys heard of that new movement? The one where people call themselves the Galra?"

"Galra? I think I saw something on the news about that a few days ago. Some radical group in Ba Sing Se, right?" Keith said. Pidge nodded.

"Wait wait, back up; what about a movement? I haven't heard about this," Lance said.

"That's because you spend all day watching Scream Queen," Lance looked at Hunk with betrayed eyes.

"Dude, t-that's not true," no one believed him.

"Basically, they're a group of people who don't like the unity of the benders. They think fire benders should stay in the fire nation, earth benders in the earth kingdom, and so on," Keith said. Lance frowned at that.

"Why? That's so stupid, I can't imagine ever going back to the North Pole." Pidge shrugged.

"It started in Ba Sing Se as an earthbending rebellion, and it's moving quickly to Republic City. I came here to investigate it, actually," Pidge said. Lance was a little a taken back.

"Investigate? Are you a cop or something?"

"Something like that," Lance groaned, knowing he'd never get answers out of Pidge.

"Anyway, I heard they were harmless," Keith said.

"Here's the thing, more and more people are joining, and the more people the more out of control. Some new guys have taken charge and they aren't the nice kind," Pidge said. "It's all very interesting, but it's kinda scary."

Hunk took a sharp breath. "You don't think they'd target pro-benders, right?" Everyone looked at him for further explanation. "Well pro-bending is three people of different elements working together. Not to mention they're famous, so wouldn't it be easy to target pro-benders?" There was a hush over the table as everyone thought about that. The silence was disturbed by Lance's loud slurping.

Keith sighed tiredly. "We're trying to have a serious conversation. Aren't you in any bit worried?" Lance shrugged.

"Good luck if they're targeting pro-bendings; I mean everyone can see how brutally we can fight. How hard we _will_ fight. Attacking any member of a pro-bending team, rival or not, is bound to get a whole bunch of scary and strong benders on your ass, right? I have complete confidence that any of us can take an entire group if them," Keith had to admit, Lance did have some dumbass moments that were somewhat redeeming. The thought that Lance and even Hunk would have his back filled Keith with a rush of warm feelings. He didn't doubt that Pidge and Shay would also throw their gauntlets in for Keith.

Although he was worried for their safety. Keith didn't want to imagine what fighting an entire movement would he like, emotionally and physically. He just hoped it would never come to that.

He wasn't sure if Shay and Pidge were even benders. The idea of two non-bending locals fighting for forgien benders. He might as well ask.

"So, wait; Shay, Pidge, are either of you benders?"

"Yeah, good question!" Lance reinforced. Keith wanted to comment on the fact that Lance didn't even know if his closest friends were benders, but he decided not to. "And are you two officially dating or what?"

Shay blushed. "I, ah, well I am a bender," Lance frowned in disbelief. "A healer, actually."

"No kidding," Lance said, and everyone waited for him to realize what she said. "Wait! You're a water bender?" Shay nodded. "But I thought you were from the Earth Kingdom!"

"Yes, my family are all Earth Kingdom citizens, but we come from an area of highly populated water benders. Not many people know where it is," She said quietly. "We're, ah... Swamp benders."

"Swamp benders?" Pidge repeated with amazement. Keith had no idea what that was. Hunk didn't react, and Keith suspected that he had already known.

Shay nodded, blushing heavily. "Yeah. If people do hear of swamp benders, we're mostly know to bend both water and water in plants." Lance bit his lip.

"Surely you don't do that often?" He asked with concern. "Bend the plants I mean."

"Wait, you can bend plants? I didn't know water benders could do that," Keith remarked. Lance didn't look to overly thrilled, but he nodded.

"I don't like to do it," Lance said. Keith was tempted to press him for more information, but before he could, Shay spoke again.

"It's different in the swamps," Shay said, as if she knew the point Lance was making. "We can control them without injuring the plant. It really only works well on long plants, like weeping willows or vines."

"That's so strange, I've read so much on water bending and I have barely heard of plant bending."

"I personally never learned, there's not many plants one can bend out here, but I still learned how to heal. And my brother has taken me up on some lessons."

"People in swamps don't ah, you know..." Lande said, trailing off. They both grew quiet.

"No no, of course not." Keith wondered what they were talking about. "And to answer your other question, we are dating," Shay turned her head to look at Hunk. Both of their eyes sparkled in ways Keith had never seen, and he had to resist the urge to make a perplexed face. He never really understood those type of couples, the sparkle gaze kind.

Lance pretended to gag, and Keith slapped him lightly on the arm. "Ow, what?" He asked. Keith let another tired sigh out.

"You're such a child, sometimes. No, actually, all the time."

"Hey, Pidge," Lance said, ignoring Keith. "You never told us your element."

Pidge shifted uncomfortably.

"I've been trying to guess, and so far it's not metal, earth, fire, water, air, or lava." Pidge readjusted their glasses.

"I never said it wasn't any of those, I told you I wasn't going to tell you," Pidged responded. Keith had to admit, now he was super curious. A mysterious bender from the earth kingdom capital investigating anti-unity movements? Pidge was becoming more and more like a walking mystery.

"Pidge, you can trust us. Just lighten up a bit," Pidge smiled at Lance.

"I trust you guys, but I also really like messing with you, Lance." Lance glared at Pidge in offense.

"You—I—Okay first of all—" Lance began, but he was drowned out by the laughs of his friends. "You guys are jerks. What time is it, anyways? I have homework," Hunk groaned in his hands.

"I totally forgot we had homework."

"It's a little past 7, do you guys need to head home?" Pidge asked. Lance's stood up, stretching. A few of his bones cracked.

"I could probably skip an assignment," Lance confessed. "I don't think Mrs. Bai will mind."

"I don't know, Lance, you're kind of on thin ice. You're already on her radar." Lance yawned into his hand.

"Ice is middle name, Hunk; I'll be fine."

 

Lance was most certainly not fine. When Mrs. Bai called his name for his partner graded assignment, Lance had simply said "I'm sorry, I forgot it at home." He obviously wasn't convincing enough, and Lance found himself back in the administrative office, waiting to be called into the headmaster's room.

He honestly didn't understand why one missed assignment was such a big deal. He really hoped he wouldn't get anymore detention. Keith would probably kill him if he did, and he'd surely be off the team.

"Lance?" A voice called, and Lance looked up to see Mr. Vincent looking down on him from his office doorway. "Come in." Lance walked in, feeling more like a small child than ever.

Lance sat in the very same seat he had in the meeting that felt like months ago. He never realized how much had change in only four weeks. He went from being a stuck-up Garrison pet to becoming a pro-bender, making a bunch of new friends, and learning some awesome bending.

"Your teachers have been talking to me, saying you've been out of it since you sat in that very chair," Lance had to admit, his life had taken to a new priority.

"Lance, how many people know that you're banned from this season's show?" Lance still didn't like talking about it. It was a very sore subject that he didn't want to bring up in front of Mr. Vincent.

"No one, only you and Keith know. I-I didn't know how to tell my family—"

"Listen, Lance," the headmaster said, cutting him off. "You are our top student. You have the Garrison spirit. Your shows are entirely different and new!

"I got to thinking. Keith dropped out of Garrison, and it's clear he isn't coming back." Lance wanted to argue that it wasn't; that Keith was going to come back. But he didn't. "In a way, we can just say that Keith was expelled for being a pro-bender. No one has to know you were there."

Lance was extremely confused by now. "Sir?"

"I am going to offer you a choice. You have your show privilege back. The contest is next Monday, I'm sure you can find something for your routine by then." Lance's mouth wouldn't close. He didn't know what to say. Next Monday was his pro-bending game... But shows were his life.

"But if you don't take the high road on this, then I will give you detention for another two weeks. You have to learn your lesson somehow, but it's your choice." Lance couldn't believe it. The Headmaster was... Blackmailing him? They were going to pin it on the drop out, the same one they bended the rules for and cherished, so that Lance can do their shows? _To help his class performance?_

He knew exactly why they were doing this. They had just lost their star pupil, and they were about to lose the next. Mr. Vincent was willing to do anything to keep Lance there.

Either way, Lance was screwed. If he didn't accept, he would get detention and he would miss all the training. If he accepted, he would miss the game.

"C-can I have time? To think about this, I mean." Lance asked. Mr. Vincent frowned, and it was his turn to act surprised.

"Think? What's more to think about? I'm giving you exactly what you want!" He was right, Lance knew he was, but he also felt how wrong it was, how easy it was for the Garrison to turn on their fallen and how much they valued their reputation over fairness.

"There is more to this decision," Lance said. He no longer felt like a child, but an adult. "If you respect my opinion and choices, you'll allow me to think about this."

The Headmaster clenched his jaw, and it was obvious to Lance that Mr. Vincent didn't like what Lance was doing. He didn't like that Lance wasn't eating out of his hand. He espcially didn't like that Lance was thinking on his own behalf.

"You have till tomorrow morning to give me your answer." Lance nodded and thanked him. The Headmaster rushed Lance out his office, obviously flustered and angry than Lance didn't accept his _generous_ offer immediately.

Lance trekked the entire way back to class silently, trying not to think about what had just happened and choosing instead on focusing on his shoes. His Garrison standard shoes that cost him twice as much as any other pair that look exactly like it. They fell apart easily, and Lance was always required to change them multiple times in a year. They never were good bending shoes. They burnt easily, were usually ruined after being soaked, and the seams were so thin and flimsy that taking any earthbender stance too quickly could break them.

Lance decided not to go back to class.

Lance wanted to talk to someone immediately. But Hunk was in class, Pidge had no idea that Garrison was even a bending school, and Lance didn't even know if Keith had a phone. He thought about talking to his parents, but he knew that'd be a disaster. He'd have to explain why he had to mull it over, why he was banned, and why he even went to a pro-bending concert.

For once, he was totally in the dark.

 

  
Lance made it to the gym half an hour early. He expected Keith to be in there, training, but when he opened the door, he found someone else.

She was a waterbender. She wore dark blue boxing gloves, and she was dancing around a punching bag. She had headphones plugged in, and Lance wanted to turn away before she had the chance to see him, but he was too slow.

She saw him immediately, and paused whatever she was listening to. "Hey, wait!" She called in a muffled voice. Lance turned around and there was something oddly familiar about this girl. She had black hair in a high pony tail and she was extremely pretty. That description could have matched any girl in Republic City, but Lance doubted just any girl could have removed a mouth piece covered in spit so elegantly or manage to pull off sweaty so well.

"I'm Yukine." Lance's eyes bulged in his head.

"I know you!" He exclaimed. "From the Paracats!" She looked a little surprised, but she laughed and nodded.

"Yeah! I'm their waterbender. Are you on a team?" Lance could't believe she was talking to him. He may have only seen one of her games, but it only took a week of pro-bending training to realize just how awesome she was.

Lance nodded, and he awkwardly waited before realizing she was probably asking which. "Oh, ah, yeah, the Red Panther-Lions! I just signed up actually; I'm Lance."

"Red Panther-Lions?" She said aloud. "They have a really skilled firebender, right? Yuen." Lance nodded.

"But he's kind of a jerk. Impulsive, too. We've had a lot of fights." Lance didn't know why he was telling her this. She wrinkled her nose.

"Fire benders, am I right?" Oh man, Lance was liking her more and more every second. "I noticed your tattoo," she said quickly. Lance blushed, suddenly.

He had a tattoo on his chest, from when he was a baby. It was a mark of a nobel northern water tribe citizen. It was black, and he had a blue one on the other side of his chest to indicate his water bending status. How Yukine saw it so fast, Lance wasn't sure. Many people could go their whole life time not knowing Lance had tattoos.

Noticing Lance's confusion, Yukine pulled down part of her shirt, revealing the blue tattoo on her chest. "You're from the North Water Tribe!" He exclaimed. She nodded.

"Although I'm no nobel, sir," she bowed, and Lance knew she was joking, but he was blushing a horrible shade of red.

"Please don't tell anyone; nobles aren't exactly supposed to be here." Lance said. She nodded in almost a mutal understanding.

"Of course. And y'know, I have another twenty minuets in here. I could show you a few moves if you're up for it."

"Absolutely, thanks!" Lance replied. He wasted no time in taking off his clothes (which he found embarrassing as he was still wearing his school uniform). He left to change quickly, and when he came back, Yukine was standing near the troughs.

"Glad you're back," she smiled. Lance knew he said this often, but he might have been in love. "Check out this move," and Lance tried. She was as equally interesting as any waterbending move. Lance watched how the muscles in her back moved as she swiftly drew water from the trough and brought it in an arch over her head, spinning to sent the water forcefully back into the opposite trough.

"Try it out."

Lance tried to. It wasn't a hard move to learn, but he couldn't quite get the power behind the blast as Yukine had. He hoped Yukine wouldn't notice, but he knew she did.

"Lance, don't worry about the details. What makes water bending so formidable is the fact that it can change. It's different for everyone. Some people like to stab with their water; other people like to slice. It's all personal preference. So try it differently."

Lance took a deep breath. Normally, he'd alter this move to be as pretty as possible, but he was trying to impress Yukine with his power, not style.

He tried it a few ways before Yukine stepped behind him, and grabbed his hands. Lance had to admit that no matter how much he liked her, he felt a little to close for comfort. Her thumbs were gentle, but when they brushed on Lance's burns, he felt like tearing them away and leaving the room.

She walked him through the process. Lance tried again, this time pushing more emphasize on the slice than strike, and surprisingly, he got the hang of it. Yukine let out a low whistle.

"You know kid, if they ever allowed ice bending, I have a feeling you could make that move deadly in the ring." She was still holding his arms, and Lance tried not to blush furiously.

Then he heard someone clear their throat from the door, and Lance jumped away from her touch.

"Hey, Lance," Keith said, looking even more pissed off than usual. He was wearing his normal clothes, and threw his gym bag on the floor.

"Yukine was showing me some cool water bending moves!" Yukine smiled.

"It was no problem at all," Keith's lips were pursed and his cheeks tense.

"Thanks." He went off to go change, and Lance frowned after him.

"He's not normally this grumpy," he remarked.

"We all get upset sometimes. Hey, here's my number. If you ever want to know some cool water bending moves or anything." She handed him a slip of paper. Lance smiled at.

"Sorry for intruding on your gym time," he said as she collected her boxing glove and bag.

"It was a pleasure, Lance! See you later," and she was gone. Lance bit his lip, and the moment she was gone from sight he immediately entered her on his phone.

"Is she gone?" Keith asked coldly as he walked back in.

"Yeah, but I got her number!" Keith didn't respond to this. And then Lance remembered exactly why he had come here for in the first place. "I'm glad you're here," Keith's face softened considerably, and Lance had almost forgotten why it was so tense in the first place.

That didn't last very long as in the next ten minuets, Keith was pacing across the room. He tugged at his hair, and Lance resisted the urge to hold his hands, if only to stop them from ripping his hair out.

"This is bad. This is so bad." Lance shrugged.

"Keith sit down, relax," Lance said, patting the work out bench next to the one he was sitting on.

"Relax? Lance how am I supposed to relax? They're black mailing you! For a missed assignment. Hunk was right, you should have done it. He said you were on thin ice, Lance. Now I have to find a new water bender, and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Lance said suddenly, standing. "Who said anything about a new water bender?" Keith rolled his eyes.

"No matter what you pick, we lose. You might as well pick the best option for you. You said so yourself, shows are your life." Lance walked slowly up to Keith and placed his hands on his shoulders.

"That isn't the choice I'm making here." Keith's eyes widened.

"No, you don't—" he muttered.

"I do. I'm already your permanent water bender, right?" Keith nodded. "I made that promise to you, and I'm going to keep it."

"You're going to give up shows? The one thing you care about?" Lance sighed.

"I care about more things, now," Keith's body went numb. He knew Lance wasn't talking about him, not in the way Keith had assumed or even wanted. But the thought of someone, of Lance, caring about him, enough to give up who he used to be... Well, Keith really wanted that.

"You can't give up Garrison. It's a great school, you were made for it."

"Keith, they're blackmailing me. They're placing all the blame on you, and it is entirely my fault. They've expelled students for going to pro-bending tournaments, and they let us off scotch free. That's nothing something I want to be catered towards."

"What about your parents?" Lance shrugged.

"I'm an adult. It's about time I finally acted like one. I'll get an apartment or something. They'll support me, sooner or later." Lance thought for a moment. "This bending thing pays right? And not just in fame?" Keith felt like punching Lance for joking, but he appreciated it.

"I know it's not much, at least not compared to everything you're giving up," Keith said slowly, hoping he wasn't going something he was going to regret later, "but I have a spare bedroom if you want to split the rent?"

  
  


Lance had a lot of shit. Like a lot a lot. Keith knew this because he was now sharing an apartment with him. Lance had broken the news to his parents about moving out, and while they were both sadden to see their son move out, they helped him pack his things and move into Keith's place.

Keith's apartment was a medium sized apartment not too far from the arena. It was located right off the corner if a grocery story and tea shop. It was not fancy, especially when compared to Lance's nice house on the outskirts of town. It was messy, mostly because Keith didn't know how to clean nor did he have time.

While Lance went home to pack later that evening, Keith cleaned out the spare room. Originally, it belonged to his brother, Shiro, but Keith hadn't Shiro is almost a year. He figured he could store all of Shiro things in a box and lend the room to Lance.

Shiro didn't have many clothes or items. He traveled a lot, and when Keith's parents moved to the fire nation, Shiro offered to take him in so he could continue his education at Garrison.

It was because of that that Keith had any nice furniture or decorations. He had a feeling Lance might like it; he and Shiro were alike in many ways, and Keith assumed that they shared similar living tastes.

So Keith almost felt guilty giving a room that was not his away. But considering that Keith had to take up pro-bending to pay for it rent, he decided that maybe he wasn't doing a bad thing at all. If fact he was doing a good thing.

Keith cleaned up as best as he could. He swept the kitchen floor, vacuumed the carpets, and changed the sheets on Shiro's bed. He even went so far as to clean the bathroom with some spray he found underneath the kitchen sink.

Keith was half way through cleaning the kitchen when Lance and Hunk came in with the first boxes. Hunk was obviously trying not to crying, and Keith almost felt bad for taking his childhood neighbor away from him. Hunk set the box down.

"Hey Keith," he said, "thanks for letting Lance move in. H-he always wanted to live away from his parents." Hunk rubbed his eyes. "He's independent like that."

"You are free to come over whenever, Hunk," Keith said. "Now that Lance pays half the rent, it's his house, too." Hunk walked past the small dining table into the kitchen and gave Keith a big hug, crying into his hair.

"Guess this is what manhood feels like," Hunk said in a wobbly voice. "One moment you're training with your pals, the next you're helping him move into a new apartment." He took a deep breath and broke the hug as Lance came back up with another box.

"There's only one mor— Hunk are you crying?" Lance asked. Hunk blinked hard and quickly, fanning his face.

"No, just some dirt. I'll uh, get that box for you." He brushed passed Lance and left the two boys on their own.

"Thanks again," Lance said, turning to Keith. "I know I can be annoying, sometimes." Keith gave him a pointed look. "Okay, all the time."

Keith decided to smile. "Nah, I need someone to make me food anyways. But theres only bathroom, so don't hog it." He said, gesturing for Lance to follow him. He showed him around the apartment. Keith showed him the closet, the living room, the balcony over looking a busy street and movie theater, and their rooms.

"Need any help unpacking?" Lance shook his head.

"No thanks." He said, hefting a box into his new room. "Gotta say, I'm surprised. I expected your house to be more black and depressing. The walls are white!" Lance marveled and Keith wasn't sure whether to take it as a compliment or insult.

Lance and Hunk eventually carried all four boxes into his new room. Lance thanked him for all his help, and the two hugged each other tightly. "I'll see you tomorrow!" Hunk said, ruffling his hair as if he were Lance's own father.

When Hunk left, Lance flopped onto his new queen bed. His bed wasn't as big as this at home. The sheets were fresh and the covers smelled like Keith. Lance wondered if he'd eventually start smelling like Keith, too. It wasn't a bad smell. In fact, it smelled kind of good. But Lance knew he'd miss what his original home smells like.

With a solemn face, Lance began unpacking.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these always feel so short ;^; i thought this was super long but thats bc i accidently added chapter six and part of seven and that'd have been over 10,000 words sooo. Thanks for reading guys! Hope you like what's in store for the future ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_ (i'm so sorry if i use that too much but its in more shortcuts and it'd be wasteful not to use it)


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was 1/4 through editing when I had my appointment and lost it all bc i didn't touch it for so long. RIP any technical skills I thought I had. I ALMOST DELETED IT TOO BUT I DIDNT SO HOLY HECK

The next morning, Lance was back in the headmaster's office. He knew that what he was about to do was going to be life-altering. He had purposely built his life around show-bending and Garrison. But he already moved in with Keith; he already made promises. He couldn't help but feel a little proud at the big strides he was taking.

Mr. Vincent was equally as proud, or smug was more accurate. He probably thought he had Lance in a corner. Do the shows, break the school record, and get back under our thumb. But he didn't. It was quite the reverse, actually. In the next two minuets, it'd be the headmaster eating out of Lance's hand. Lance was glad the roles were flipped, but it had taken him so long to realize how worthless Garrison really was that he couldn't be too proud of what he was doing.

He never heard what happened to Garrison kids after they graduated. They probably just became more faces in the crowd. The diploma from here was as worthless as dirt. But then again, even dirt could be bended, so the diploma wasn't even as good as that.

"Ah, Lance, my star student, good morning."

"It sure is; I've thought long and hard. I found that the answer was quite simple. Had you pressured me yesterday, I'm certain we would have saved an entire day's worth a fret and time." Lance made sure he sounded as intelligent as Garrison had tricked him to believing he was.

"I'm glad! A 20th consecutive win is a big deal you know. You will get a lot of recognition from the higher-ups when you achieve this." Lance never knew the higher-ups. He didn't even know if there actually were any.

"Yes, I can't wait. It'll be quite the celebration. Unfortunately I won't be there to see it."

"Pardon?"

"I'm not doing the show," Lance said. "I have some... conflicting interests. Simply don't have any time these days." He could tell that Mr. Vincent was enraged.

"What?" He barked, a mixture of angry and confused. "I must admit I wonder how someone so foolish made it to be the top student!"

"I have to agree; it took me years to see through this shit scam for what it really is."

"I should have you suspended! Expelled!"

"You don't have that power anymore."  
Lance was finally dishing it out, finally getting back after all these years. He couldn't believe it only took one pro-bending match to send him all the way here, to really open his eyes. He kind of understood now why most of Garrison's drop-outs went on to be pro-benders.

Mr. Vincent's face swelled and grew red. "I am your headmaster! Whatever special privileges you ever thought you had were given generously by me! I will not hesitate to punish you!"

"You really should. After all," Lance said slyly and slid a thick file if paper over the desk. It had taken him hours to fill out after printing it last night. The school obviously had tried to make it as hard as possible to resign without flat out refusing to show up. But Lance had done it. Was it out of spite? Absolutely. Did it feel good? Oh god, yes.

"I am no longer your student."

Lance stood, ready to leave. He heard Mr. Vincent sit down on the leather chair behind his great oak desk. "Oh, and Keith Kogane sends his regards." _Nice_ , he thought. Getting smoother everyday.

He left before the Headmaster could plead him to stay. Lance could almost hear the anguished sounds of disbelief as he left the office. He had never felt better than when he walked down the hall of Garrison for the last time, his steps lighter and his breathing easier, and kicked off his shitty shoes, threw of his shitty blazer, and shook his hair free of its shitty comb over.

 

  
His parents were a little less than thrilled when Lance shower up on their doorstep barefoot and missing class.

They let him inside, and Lance took a seat on the couch. Normally when he had living room conversations with his parents, it was because he had broken something. 

Lance glanced around his old house. The oak table covered with a fur pelt was as soft as when he was a kid. The family portiate hung over the fire place as it had done the day it was painted. Lance could spend hours looking at that painting and looking at each individual face. He and Keith didn't have any painting on their walls. Nor did the have the fur pelts or the wolf masks. The living room felt like home, but while Lance had only spent three days in his new apartment, he think he came to like his new home much better. Maybe because it was his, or maybe because he shared it with Keith. Either way, Lance had sat down a different man than the day he explained he was moving out to his parents. 

Lance didn't know how to explain it to them. They had supported his waterbending career so much since he first graduated high school. Since his cery first show when he was 7. How could he explain he was throwing away his biggest dream without also telling them he had found a new, much better dream. They couldn't know about pro-bending. They couldn't know about Lance's first fight with Keith. It felt wrong to hold back this information, but he knew it was for the best.

Lance started by saying the hardest part: He was quitting Garrison. His parents weren't angry, much to Lance's relief, but they were extremely confused. 

"Lance, baby, you love Garrison. Why would you want to quit? You're almost graduated," his mother said to him. She was wearing a silk blue headdress, her favorite, and sitting straight in a white arm chair. The scene was so familiar to Lance, but he felt the difference in his bones. He could hear it in his voice.

"Garrison is now what we thought— it's not what _I_ thought. They're twisted and unfair. I refused to be their lap dog. I need my own freedom." He said it firmly, although all he wanted was to cry into his mom's shoulders because everything was falling apart at the seams so quickly, and he was sowing as fast as he could.

His mother and father traded concernced looks. They, too, could hear the difference in Lance. He was... More mature, older, and expirenced. They still didn't know why he was making his choice, he hadn't explained that to them, but they knew what he was asking. Lance was asking for faith.

"Lance, you must know we are... Hesitant and confused as to why you are doing this." His father said. Mr. McClain peered at Lance over his glasses, trying to see his son's face directly.

"I know that. But I need you both to understand that this is the right decision. I'm making a choice that will change my life, but for the better. There is so much more to bending than sitting in a class all day and practicing forms," he enthused.

"More to it? Baby, how are you going to become more involved with bending if you aren't going to be in Garrison?"

"I have a plan, mom. Garrison is just not apart of that plan," Lance told her. She bit her lip and looked to Mr. McClain. Lance had won her over, and he was sure that she could win his father, too.

His mother and father proceeded to have a nonverbal conversation. He could tell his mom was winning because his father was wearing his 'But Honey...' face. Eventually, his mom looked back at Lance and smiled warmly.

"We trust you. If you think you're making the right decision, then we trust you. You know what's best for your own future," his father told him. "You're free to make your own choices."

What Lance thought was the hardest part had been the easiest. When the headmaster had first presented him with the choice, Lance knew he was going to leave Garrison. He needed the extra time to sort out for himself what he was going to do. He never expected to be this quick on his feet, but he was eternally grateful for his parent's support.

He said good-bye to them, hugging them both tightly and promised to then them that he'd pop in every weekend. Lance then had to say good-bye to his siblings. He was the oldest to still live with his parents, and even his younger brother had already moved out. He went up to his sister's room. He gave quick embraces (they insisted they were too older for an baby kisses) and kissed the head of his youngest brother, who was almost the same age Lance was when he discovered he was a bender. Before waving good bye, he made sure to tell them all he loved them, and he was on his way.

Well, not really. By on his way, he meant he was moving on the the next brother he had to say goodbye to: Hunk.

Hunk lived right next to Lance. It was only a minuet walk to the large one-story house painted a bright orange. Lance knew every crook and crany of this place almost as well as his own house. He had spent over a year's worth of nights at Hunk's home, and it was almost equally as breaking to leave it behind. 

Lance knocked on the door of Mr. and Mrs. Seidou. They were shocked to see him, mostly due to the fact that Lance had not visited their house since he and Hunk started going to Garrison. Lance told them briefly about moving out, and how he planned on saying goodbye to Hunk.

"I still plan on seeing him everyday," a reference Hunk's parents probably mistook as Lance and Hunk sharing classes. "But the distance might be a little much on Hunk."

"You're such a good boy, Lance," not really, but Lance didn't say this as Mr. Seidou continued talking. "We're glad you and your family were the ones to move next door to us all those years ago." Although he didn't see them much, Mr. and Mrs. Seidou were family, and Lance was over to say goodbye to them as well. He hugged them both tightly, and then they let him wait in Hunk's room till he returned from class.

It didn't take long, and eventually Lance heard muffle voices downstairs as Lance flipped through the Pokemon cards he had given Hunk oh so many years ago. He had switched on Hunk's extremely old radio, and it played soft but fast music.

Hunk opened the door to his room. "Lance? My parents said you were here." Lance looked up from the cards and set them down on the bed.

"I came by to say goodbye. It's gonna be hard knowing I'm going to have to wait awhile before tasting your dad's lasagna again." Lance smiled, standing up. He put his hand out.

"It's be real buddy, pop in often alright? I'm going to die if I'm stuck with Keith by myself longer than a week." Hunk didn't take his hand, but he did envelope him into a bone crushing hug. "Ow, ow, Hunk, too much," he gasped. Hunk let him go, and Lance could see Hunk tear up.

"No, no, no," Lance warned. "Don't cry, if you cry I cry, and that's gonna be a mess." Hunk nodded, whipping his eyes.

"And also, thank you. For everything. For the longest time, you were my only friend. And now you're risking a lot to keep me in the competition. But that's not why I'm here." Lance took a deep breath. He honestly didn't know how to break it to Hunk because he didn't know Hunk would take it.

"I dropped out of Garrison."

At first, there was only silence, and Lance couldn't bring himself to look at Hunk. He wondered what his face would betray. Sorrow, disbelief, angst, hurt, etc.

Lance managed to tear his eyes up from the floor long enough to glance at Hunk, and he was smiling? Well that was not expected, if Lance was being completely open with himself.

"Dude that's great! I've been telling you for a month: Garrison is horrible! I'm glad you finally realized it," Hunk had a air of 'I told you so' but it was only well-meant.

"Oh man," Lance gushed, "you should've seen it! The headmaster was so pissed. It was the scariest thing I had ever done, but it was exhilarating. Mr. Vincent... He was just so mad!"

"Well what happened?" Lance looked back to not even six hours ago, and he suddenly felt the overwhelming rush that he had been waiting for. The one that made him have to sink to the floor and hug his knees. But Lance didn't let it crush him.

"I don't remember everything, but I basically told him and his school to fuck off. I then threw my shoes and jacket in the hallway." Hunk made a noise between a laugh and a groan.

"That's so you; I wish I had the courage to do that." Lance felt his chest puff up with pride. He slapped Hunk's back and beamed at him.

"Listen my man, bro, dude. You are a pro-bender now. You have a girlfriend! You're going places, you can do it." Hunk sat down on his bed, glancing up.

"I don't know, Lance, it's very sudden. You just moved out of your house, shouldn't things be more... Slow?"

"Water is the element of change, and change is okay," Lance said, remembering what Yukine had said earlier. "You're thinking too much about what was. Change is quick, like the hours we spend training. Gone in a flash and suddenly we have all this development!"

Hunk looked grateful for the words Lance spoke. "Maybe Shay and I..." He trailed off.

"Whoa, bud, I know I said change is quick, but you've only been dating for four weeks," Lance said. Hunk scoffed.

"You've known Keith even less!"

"Yeah, but I'm not dating the dude."

"Oh sure."

  
Lance laid in his new bed for the second night. It was weird to look up at a ceiling that was not his own. This was the first time he moved since he was a baby. Now he could actually remember every moment of this move.

Lance's stomach was full from dinner. He promised Keith he would cook five nights a week if Keith promised to clean the bathrooms twice a week. That seemed like a fair trade. Lance certainly wasn't a chef, but he knew his way around spaghetti sauce. Of course, they'd probably be eating spaghetti every night because that's all Lance knew how to make.

Lance lifted his phone up from the nightstand next to his bed. It wasn't too late, but Lance knew if he stayed up any longer, he'd regret it tomorrow morning. Ever since he moved in with Keith, Keith has been making him do daily runs and work outs. It was exhausting, but Lance didn't really mind.

He opened up messages. He never texted a lot of people. He had his siblings underneath different code names, a few classmates he used to work on group projects with, and then his close group of friends.

Hunk was always an early to bed, early to rise kind of person, so Lance knew he wouldn't get a response till 6am. Pidge was probably up.

**Hey, u up?**

He sent the short message. Pidge replied a few minuets later.

**Life Support: Theoretically, no. But in reality, unfortunately.**

Lance knew he should have expected this answer. He wondered what they could talk about. He hadn't plan as far ahead to know what to say when Pidge actually answered.

 **What's** **Ba** **Sing** **Se** **like?**

Smooth Lance, you're quite the talker.

While he waited for Pidge to respond, Lance opened another conversation. "Yukine".

 **Hey, wanna** **meet** **up** **to** **practice soon?**

He put his phone down, and took a deep breath. Yukine was great, but some part of her made Lance wary. He almost felt like he wasn't supposed to be going to her for help, but the amount of pro-bending water benders he knew were about zip.

Lance was a bit embarassed that he jumped when he received the next message, hoping Yukine had responded with a "Yes". But it was only Pidge.

 **Life Support: Lance go to sleep, Ba Sing Se is just like Republic City with more rocks**.

Lance flipped over in the bed, laying on his stomach and pressing his cheek to the cool pillow. He wondered if he should respond. Was Pidge trying to sleep? Were they just as unsuccessful as Lance was? Lance closed his eyes, but he didn't feel any of the tiredness he had felt hours ago.

He wondered if Keith was asleep. The walls between Keith's room and Lance's were thin enough that Lance could hear gurgled noises whenever Keith was listening to music or talking on the phone. But all he heard now was dead silence.

Lance briefly wondered if every night was going to be like this, feeling alone and surrounded by silence.

 

  
"You two have only ever faced me at easy levels, but I think it's time you face off against actual benders." Keith said to Hunk and Lance. He had called Hunk earlier to meet him and Lance at the park; it was the same park where Lance and Keith had first fought not all that long ago.

"Really?" Lance asked with excitement. He was more than ready. All day he had been working hard on his bending and training. He kept it quiet, but he even managed to meet up with Yukine to learn a few more pro-bending moves. "Who are we going to fight?"

Hunk shifted his feet with unease. "Um, I don't know if I'm ready," He admitted. Keith waved the thought a way with his hand.

"Trust me, Hunk, who you're facing is an easy target. In fact, he's standing right next to you." Hunk glanced at Lance, and Lance was stuck between shock and offense.

"Whoa whoa whoa. What did you say?" Lance asked. Keith ignored him.

"I'm going to act as ref. You guys duke it out. I want to see how well you can follow the rules. Make sure you don't actually hurt each, please." He warned. Both Hunk and Lance were confused and traded each other unsure glances.

"I know it seems a little pointless, but you'll understand the point when you finish." Lance and Hunk took to opposite ends sheepishly. "Hunk, think you can make us some zones?" Hunk nodded. He slide his foot forward softly and stomped. In a matter of seconds, the zones were made.

Lance and Hunk bowed to each other, a gesture they have been implementing since they first started their 'duels' at Garrison.

"Round one, go!" If Lance didn't know better, he would have thought Keith was having his own little party watching Hunk and Lance duel. Of course when anything came to pro-bending, Keith was more than serious, so Lance doubted that was the case.

Lance eventually began to see what Keith was talking about. Hunk was generous with the amount of rocks he sent towards Lance, and Lance was constantly cutting them in half and trying to deflect them. The amount of pressure Hunk put into his moved was astounding to say the least. Lance knew he was strong, but this was almost on a totally different level.

Lance didn't want to hurt Hunk, but he was equally dishing out his moves. Yukine had been teaching him all about how to use his slicing tactics to his advantage.

In an arena, he would be able to slice anything in half, and he knew in a way it was partly due to all the defensive training Keith taught him. But he was now taking on the job of an offensive, and he reveled in it.

More than once, he was able to destroy any rocks Hunk had before he even bended towards Lance. He was able to push Hunk into the second zone, and he moved up one.

Lance was doing well on the offensive. He wasn't good at dodging in coming attacks, but he was good at send large shots of water at Hunk's weapons. Lance was at a little disadvantage: he only had the pond as his source and could only use water from his right side. Hunk, however, had free reign.

Hunk was acting on the defensive. Rocks were constantly shielding him, and if Lance destroyed them, he'd have another rock ready or use the bits to pelt Lance's chest. It hurt, but it was more of a distraction than anything else.

But when he was pushed into the second zone, Hunk began to change tactics. He was less 'stuck' and more jumpy. He was able to maneuver around Lance's attacks, as quick as they were, and began to send powerful rocks into Lance's direction. These were less complicated, and Hunk had given up forming a plan. He instead thought back to what Keith kept telling him.

"It's like boxing," Keith has told him. Hunk was good at boxing. And he started applying whatever he had learned the few times he actually went to his boxing classes.

It was enough to keep Lance back, and Lance was obviously surprised by the change in Hunk's style.

Hunk sent two rocks towards Lance, trying his best to aim for his stomach. It worked, but Hunk missed a his mark, hitting Lance's chest and clipping his shoulder instead and sending him back to his own side. But just as he did that, Lance sent a torpedo like move towards Hunk, and it drilled straight into his chest. Hunk was pushed back into the third zone, and despite planting his feet firmly on the ground he slide past the finally line.

"Game point! Lance wins!" Keith said, and Hunk noticed the wide smile on his face. "You guys that was great! Hunk you were a master out there—a natural! And Lance... you did good," Hunk thanked him, laughing at Lance's disbelief.

He was laughing so much that he began to wince and realized how much his chest hurt. Lance noticed, and asked Hunk if he were alright.

Hunk nodded, but Lance was unconvinced. "Sit, you know the drill." Hunk nodded, pulling off his shirt to reveal a large red bruise on his dark chest. Lance grimaced at it. "Sorry, Hunk, I hadn't meant to actually hurt you," Hunk brushed him off and soon felt the cooling sensation of Lance's healing on his chest and back.

"Not a problem, but you should get healed to, your shoulder isn't looking too good." Hunk reminded him. Lance nodded, and when he was finished, Hunk put his shirt back on, and Lance pulled off his jacket.

Keith honestly tried not to watch. But Lance took his shirt off like a girl, by grabbing the sides and pulling them up, and Keith couldn't resist. Swallowing thickly, Keith looked in the other direction, glancing at Lance in the corner of his eye.

Lance was healing two dark red blotches on his chest and shoulder, wincing as he did, and that's when Keith saw Lance's arms.

It was the first time since be had burned Lance that Keith saw his arms, and Keith had never felt the heavy guilt of what he had done as much as he did in that moment. Scars reached from Lance's wrists to his elbows, red and jagged like a rash. It was a stark difference from the rest if his skin; the skin Keith knew Lance painstakingly dedicated hours to taking care of.

Usually Lance had on his bandages; and while it wasn't that uncommon for water benders to have wrapped arms, Keith wondered why Lance never took them off, but now he knew.

Keith knew it was wrong of him, but he wished Lance had never taken them off. Looking at the awful burns was doing too much to Keith's head.

What felt like an eternity was only a few moments, and Lance put his shirt on and all his glory and Keith's shame was gone. Keith again felt even more ashamed. Was he really checking out Lance while simultaneously hating himself for scarring him?

If Lance noticed Keith staring, he didn't say anything. He slipped his jacket back on, and stood up, his smile betraying nothing. "You were right, I already feel like a seasoned player."

Keith tried to not let his emotions clog his throat. "Just don't let it go to your head, that'll get you knocked out," he tried to make it as monotonous as possible, but it came off more like a threat than a warning. Keith saw the smile melt off Lance's face and wanted to kick himself in the gut. "But you did fight like a seasoned player." Keith may be insensitive, but he wasn't heartless. In fact, the more time Keith spent around Lance, the more sure he was of that fact.

"Do you think we will be ready for Monday?" It was already Friday, and if Keith was honest, he knew that the team still had a long way before they could do more than rely on luck. Despite this, Keith knew confidence was key, and came up with an excuse.

"We still have a lot more work, especially since Hunk has so little training, but if we continue the way we are, I think we'll truly be a force to be reckoned with." It wasn't a total lie. Keith believed it himself, he was just leaving out the part of hoping they were going to be extremely lucky Monday.

"These will get progressively harder, though." He warned, and he turned to Hunk. "Now is the time buddy. We need to find an earthbender soon if you aren't staying. Are you leaving?" Hunk hadn't expected the choice to come so soon. It had only been five days.

He looked at both if his friends, his teammates. They were both smiling encouragingly at him. "We already appreciate you coming for this game, but to be honest, I think we'll all make a great team if you stay." Lance told him.

What was holding him back? He racked his brain. He was scared, scared of getting hurt. Scared of being punished by the Garrison. And he was scared that he'd embarrass himself in front of all the people watching the game.

He felt a hand grip his shoulder, and he looked into Keith's face. Keith didn't betray any emotions, but Hunk knew what he was trying to convey.

Great team, he thought. Eventually he nodded. "Yeah. I'll join the team."

Lance didn't realize it, but he was holding his breath. When Hunk gave the word, Lance let it out in an excited shout, pumping his fists in the air. "Yes!" I knew Hunk would like this team. The other boys watched Lance, and it was even kind of endearing how happy Lance acted. So happy that the ground was frosting over fast, and even freezing completely.

"Okay, but now that Hunk is an official member, can we take a vote? I've been coming up with some awesome team names—" Keith groaned into his hands, cutting Lance off.

"Please don't ruin this," Keith asked tiredly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last year I was talking to my friend, and I yelled "Too hot!" And she was supposed to say "Hot Damn" but she just looked at me super confused and said "too cold?" And if that isn't Klance then idk what is. 
> 
> Also like, what is in this AU? I want everything from our world to cross over but 'english' and 'spanish' and all these languages don't exsist. How are they singing Living La Vida Loca when thats not a language in this universe?? Where do I draw the line? Is Batman not Flutterbat-Man, the butter fly bat man hybrid (like man-bear pig)? Twilight can't be referenced bc it's Wolf Bats, so Werewolf Vampires? What does Bella do?? Holy heck idek


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On my phone I have 13 chapters saved, but idk y I only have seven chapters up! No chapters are missing they're just... Numbered weirdly. 
> 
> Also, you guys are almost all caught up with my files! Everything after the next chapter is post-file deletion. Also like thank y'all bc this would be as much as I had without you guys commenting and encouraging me! So thank you   
> (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Keith had Lance and Hunk duel again, but this time Hunk and Lance were paired together. Keith stood and one end of their make-shift arena, and the duo stood on the other. At first, Lance was certain he and Hunk could take him, but he began to realize that Keith was actually really good at what he did, and he had Lance and Hunk by the ropes before either of them had the chance to attack.

Lance worked the offensive while Hunk defended him. But Hunk wasn't as good at defense as he was offense, and it left the two scrambling. Lance was constantly being pushed back by Keith's fire, and Hunk was throwing rocks too close to Lance for any type of defense.

Keith was able to pin-point their weakness easily. Hunk had unsteady feet, still new to the more jumpy aspects of pro-bending. Lance was still very exaggerated with his moves; he was slow and sluggish.

Keith called them out on this, and he could see them actively try to fix it. It worked, but only slightly. Keith was able to push them back into their third zone.

"Hunk, we're kinda losing here," Lance said, trying his best to intercept Keith's fire while Hunk readied some rocks.

"Trust me, I know." Hunk replied. "But, uh, Lance, we've known each other for how many years?" He asked. Lance narrowly dodged a stray rock that Keith blew up. 

"I don't know, 16 years?" He guessed. He wondered if Hunk had a point to what he was saying because he felt himself start to get distracted.

"You think we'd work better after all those years. I mean, the mud fights, the training, Garrison," he said, and he shielded Lance from a blast.

"I trust you. Why? Do you have something in mind?" Lanced asked. Hunk nodded.

"On the count if three, jump on my shoulders." Lance was going to protest, he was pretty sure it was impossible to jump that high, but Hunk already started counting.

Lance glanced back, realizing they didn't really have anything to lose.

"One, two," Hunk slide in front of Lance suddenly, using two large rocks to block Keith's heavy fire, and Lance realized what he was talking about. Hunk had done this a few days ago in training, right? Keith warned him. But Lance knew Hunk had faith that the two were so in sync after years of being together that he thought they could pull it off. "Three!"

Lance jumped, using his water to give him an extra leverage and propel him in the air. Swinging his foot, Lance sent a whip of water at Keith, and landed roughly on Hunk's shoulders.

The moved worked. Keith was so surprised that he didn't have anytime to react. He crossed his arms in front of him to brace himself, and the sheer force of the attack sent him two zones back.

The win was only momentary because the moment Lance fell, Hunk feel with him. The two toppled over, Lance whacking his head on the ground, and they got tangled in a big pile.

Normally they were supposed to move up two zones, but Keith had quickly recovered. He shot a large fireball towards them—just barley missing them—to prove his point. Keith won. Lance and Hunk untangled quickly to avoid the heat.

"Checkmate." Keith told them, offering his hand to the both of them and hoisting them up. Hunk rubbed the back if his head shyly.

"That went a lot better in my head," he admitted.

"Are you kidding?" Keith asked. "That was awesome! I've never seen a move like that, much less from beginners. If you polish that off, you guys will have immediately jumped from noobs to regulars!" Lance was certain that Keith couldn't have phrased that anymore awkwardly, but knowing how awesome and overwhelming his and Hunk's new move was, Lance let it slide. Awe tended to make people speechless.

"The plan was to finish you with the rocks I used as shields, but we lost our balance."

"Maybe next time I should just avoid jumping on you," Lance said. "Provide me cover, and we'll make an awesome combo move."

"You know, I actually have a really good feeling about Monday," Keith said. They were both still rookies, but they were both skilled enough that Keith was sure there wouldn't be too many problems.

 

  
Lance liked to sing. Badly. Whenever he made dinner, he put his phone on shuffle and went nuts. Usually, Keith could drown him out with the TV or a pair of earphones, but not this time.

Next to him, Hunk talked animatedly with Pidge in the living room, and Keith was sure that the only thing louder than Pidge and Hunk's enthuastic conversation was Lance.

Keith didn't want to seem rude by putting in earphones and ignoring them, but he didn't know what he should do. They were talking about a new expirement involving a human spirit collaboration that was heavily scientific. Keith knew it was cool, but at the same time, they were talking about much more advance things like engineering that he wasn't sure how to contribute to. Keith had pretty much devoted his lives to two things, neither of which had anything to do with engineering.

Shay wasn't a bad singer. She never sung any parts she felt she couldn't manage, and her low voice was melodic and soothing. But whatever Shay couldn't hit, Lance tried, and that made the songs a complete disaster. The two made quite the duo...

Keith wanted to go to his room. He had never had this many people over his house at once. It was overwhelming, but he didn't necessarily dislike it. In fact, when Lance asked if they could have a dinner night, Keith was excited.

But Keith was already exhausted, and he was ready for dinner. After that, they'd watch a movie quietly, and then Keith could finally go to sleep.

"Keith, come here for a second!" Keith took deep a breath of air. He always needed a moment of preparation for whenever Lance called him over for whatever it was Lance was doing, and it was always something. 

There were no walls separating the living room and kitchen, and thus it was easy to smell everything that was being cooked. Shay didn't know how to cook well, but she did know her grandmother's recipe for a killer curry, and she offered to help Lance with cooking.

Lance was a mess in the kitchen, literally and metaphorically. He hardly knew what he was doing at any given time. He left stray trails of everything everywhere. Carrot slices, blobs of honey, rows of sugar, etc. He even managed to get pancake batter on the ceiling one morning (Keith knew exactly what happened; Lance just wouldn't admit to it). But Lance always cleaned up the mess and somehow made something that's was better than what Keith would have expected.

Having Shay with him made no difference. Lance was stirring a pot of brown liquid, and there was a strong smell of basil. Chopped up green leaves were everywhere, and Keith knew it was anything but basil. Where the smell was coming from and what those leaves were was not even the biggest mystery. Anything Lance cooked was stew surprise. Keith wondered how he had managed not get food posioning by now.

Shay sang along with whatever was playing like whatever Lance was cooking was perfectly normal, and Keith was left to survery them from around the counter where it was safe.

"What do you need?" He hoped Lance would say something like 'make the bed' or 'clean your window'. He knew it was illogical to think that, but he wished for anything to get him out of the kitchen for just a few moments.

"Okay, so Shay is singing the David Bowie part, and I got they high part, but we need someone to sing back up." Keith could have strangled him. It was that damn Shrek track again.

"You're such a fucking meme; why did I let you move in?" He wondered aloud. Lance smiled, ignoring him.

"Listen, buddy, sing the part or I'm gonna stick these leaves down your pants." Lance threatened. Shay was already singing her part, and Lance began singing with her. They both looked at Keith expectedly.

"I'm not singing—" Lance started howling along with the song. He was off key and he didn't know all the words, and Lance knew both of these facts, but he didn't seem to careless. He and Shay continued to sing their parts loudly and mumble whatever they didn't know. Keith was a little impressed that they were managing so well considering how badly Lance was singing.

Another song came up, and it was even more lively and cheerful.

Lance grabbed Shay's hand, and they laughed as Lance spun her around. Keith would take this to the grave, but he was almost jealous that Lance was dancing with Shay.

He sat at the breakfast bar, watching them. They looked like they were having a blast, and Keith said nothing. He laid his head in hands boredly, chewing on his cheek in thought.

Keith didn't expected someone to tap his shoulder and offer their hand. Keith turned and looked at Hunk like he had lost his mind. "Lance is dancing with my girlfriend; I might as well dance with his boyfriend," Keith blushed a millions shades of red, and he felt his entire body heat up. But before he could protest that he was _not_ Lance's boyfriend, he was already pulled from his chair. Hunk was dancing with him, and surprisingly, it was fun.

Pidge was doing their own thing in the corner, and it looked strangely like bending. They had an odd way of dancing, and they looked like they were having a blast.

Lance dipped Shay, almost dropping her, before she flipped the tables, and Lance was the one be spun around. He spun towards Hunk, and Keith traded spots with him. Lance was doing... Something that resembled dancing. Keith wasn't sure what exactly that type of dance was called, and it looked entirely made up on the spot.

Lance and Hunk were trying out a duet, and Keith started to dance with Shay. She was a great dancer, much better than him, and Keith was thankful that she didn't comment on his awkward movements. She led their dance, and Keith had to admit he was having a lot of fun. She grabbed one of his hands, gripped his waist in the other, and she moved slowly at first, giving Keith time to follow her moves. Eventually they got to a comfortable pace and were laughing so hard their sides hurt.

Lance managed to drag Pidge into his arms, and did a horrible exaggeration of the waltz. Lance hummed loudly, and he was practically picking Pidge up and dragging them around like a rag doll.

The song changed again, but it was different. More mysterious and dark than the rest. Deep and low; the type of singing that carried throughout the apartment and carried the rest of them with it as well.

Lance managed to switch with spots Shay, and now it was Lance and Keith dancing. Shay found herself wrapped in the arms of Hunk, and Pidge was sandwiched between the two of them uncomfortably.

It was a jazzy slow dance, and Keith wasn't sure what he was doing, but Lance had been born for these exaggerated sways and turns. He swept Keith up with him in the mood, and before long, Keith found himself smiling and laughing along with Mr. Show-Bender.

The song changed again, and this time Pidge elected to take a break. Even Shay and Hunk looked tired. But Keith worked out everyday, this was nothing. He could dance for hours (it had nothing to do with the fact he didn't want to let go of Lance's hands, not one bit).

It was a louder song, and it was quick. It was as cringey as the rest of Lance's music, but Keith was too caught up in the mood to complain. Lance was spinning him, and they were constantly moving closer and farther in a pattern of aggression and passiveness. One moment they swayed softly, and the next they were moving faster and more intensely than any pro-bending game Keith had ever been in.

Keith was already feeling tired. It was beginning to be a bit much for him despite the fun he was having. He was out of breath, and he wasn't sure if it was the dance that winded him or the dance partner.

When the song was over, Keith tore himself away from Lance and sat back at the breakfast stool. Lance was still dancing a little, but when Keith left his arms, he went back to cooking. His moves were slow Keith was a little flustered. He had just danced with Lance. They were holding hands! They had be less than an inch apart. That was a lot to sink into...

Shay also went back to cutting up pieces of the possum chicken. Keith was very concernced for her considering she wasn't looking where she was cutting, but rather looking and laughing at Hunk.

She smiled down at the chicken, but Keith knew she was flustered at what Hunk was telling her. It was sickly sweet, and Keith was happy for them.

He no longer had any urge to crawl back in his room and hide, and he was glad he was getting more comfortable with his new friends. Keith almost laughed at what he would've thought a month ago if someone told him that Lance, the fruity kid that sat next to him in history class, would be the gateway to Keith being surrounded by friends and happiness. It seemed so unlikely, but here he was, having just danced with three different people like he had known them his entire life.

Keith whipped his sweaty palms on his pants, smiling to himself. He was glad to have this moment.

The moment didn't last long, however. From the living room, Pidge called the group over. "Hey, guys, check this out." Lance turned his music on low, and the others gathered in the living room as Pidge turned up the volume on the TV.

It was a news report, and what Keith saw on the TV scared the shit out of him. "Three people have gone missing in the past 24 hours in Bae Sing Se, all benders. The Dai Lee have refused any details, but it has been leaked that there has been a series of notes left behind each kidnapping." A note appeared on the screen next to the news anchor's head. 'We're taking back our kingdom'. "The missing citizens were all first and second generation immigrants. It is suspected that the radical and once docile group, the Galra, are behind the disappearances." The liveliness of the dancing not even minuets ago was completely extinguished.

"T-that's horrible," Shay whispered into Hunk's arm. Keith had an extremely uneasy feeling about the group. The Galra? He knew people were being attacked, but kidnappings? And so many in just a day? 

"Benders in majorly diverse cities are asked to remember to lock their doors at night and stay alert. Police advise that forigeners stay off the streets at night or when alone. This is Saturday Night News, we'll be ba—" Pidge turned it off. They looked up at Lance worryingly.

Keith wasn't sure why, but he looked at Lance, too. Everyone was, almost as if they were asking him for guidance. Lance was squeezing the back of the couch tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"I—" he didn't know what to say. No one did. He squared his jaw. "It's awful, but it hasn't happened here yet. We're safe." Lance didn't know what else to say, and it was easily apparent.

"Lance is right," Keith said, stepping in. "We have each other. That group isn't going to come to the most diverse city in the entire world. Every person in this city is too strong for that." Lance looked grateful for the assistance, and Keith nodded to him in acknowledgement.

"Let's get back to dinner," Shay said quietly. "I did promise some swamp curry."

  
Dinner was rowdy. Everyone was helping themselves to Shay's curry and Lance's soup. Despite not knowing exactly what is was, Keith liked the soup. The chickrn possum on the other hand was not Keith's favorite. The curry was good, but he just wasn't a fan of the meat...

He noticed Lance being extra quiet, and Keith knew personally that being left alone when quiet was always a welcomed gesture. So Keith let him be, engaging with Pidge a conversation about a new motorcycle bike that was fire and water-proof, perfect for benders like Lance and Keith who had difficulty keeping their bending to themselves when excited.

Dinner when long into the day. Even after all the food had been eaten, stories were being traded. Shay told the others how when she asked Hunk out two month ago, he was so flustered he knocked over a chair and topple a table in her shop. 

Hunk was blushing as she told this, covering his face. Lance made a comment about how it was finally time that the two of them got together.

"You're one to talk, Lance," Hunk said slyly. "You've been single you're entire life." 

Lance crossed his arms in defense. "Only because I've never actively saught anyone out." Pidge snorted.

"Lance, I've know you for just two months, and even I know thats a lie." Lance tried to defend himself, but he knew it was futile.

After all the plates had been whipped clean, Keith brought out his scarce movie collection. He was never a movie person himself, but he did manage to salvage some movies that Shiro kept on the bookshelf. Keith found movies to be boring, but everyone managed to agree on some weird action movie starring a firebender with a vendetta. It was a little too cliche for Keith's liking, but he didn't plan on watching the entire thing anyways.

Hunk had brought popcorn, and Lance had managed to sneak a box of cavehoppers when he went shopping earlier (despite the fact he was supposed to stoo eating those). Keith let it slide, but not without taking some of the cavehoppers for himself.

They weren't even twenty minuets into the movie before Keith was passed out. He was exhausted from all his training as of late, and so when the movie spent ten unnecessary minuets on the love relationship between a damsel and the main character, Keith let his eye close shut. It had dawned on him that he didn't have the resolve to open them again, so he didn't bother to try. Maybe he could just listen...

 

Keith knew had fallen asleep when he woke up to the brightly lit kitchen on the couch with a blanket around him. He sat up slowly. Shay, Pidge, and Hunk were nowhere to be seen, and Keith was sure that it must have been very late. It was pitch black on the balcony.

Keith sat up, wondering what time it was. He didn't say anything as he heard Lance singing along to one of his shitty songs while washing dishes in the sink.

Keith instantly recognized the song, it was one he had heard before. He could only take so much Shrek in a single day, and he opened his mouth to say something before closing it suddenly.

Lance wasn't singing badly. In fact he was singing well. And what he was singing about made Keith's heart stop and his brain melt. "So she said what's the problem baby 'What's the problem,baby'. I don't know. Well, maybe I'm in love," Keith bit his lip as he heard Lance sing more.

"We're accidentally in love, accidentally in love." He actually did sound like he was in love.

His voice was heavy with emotion, and he hummed along quietly when there was an instrumental. The music wasn't loud, it was barley a murmur, and Keith decided just to listen. Lance wasn't a professional, no, but listening to him was so soothing. "I'm in love, I'm in love—"

Keith turned on his side. If it was so soothing, why did it make his chest hurt? He wondered if Lance was actually in love. He had never heard of Lance being in a relationship, but then again, Keith didn't exactly make the active effort to be apart if Lance's life. If he was, Keith didn't care.

Keith knew he was lying. He knew he cared a lot. But he decided to shut his eyes anyways and pretend to go back to sleep.

  
"Lance, wake up." Lance clenched his eyes tightly. He groaned in his pillow. Was in 6am already?

"Keith, let me sleep in, we have a tournament tomorrow, I need rest." He didn't hear a response, and he tried to go back to sleep, hoping he had made a compelling argument. A few seconds passed, and Lance looked back. Keith was gone. Lance groaned.

 _Maybe I could pass off for sick_ , Lance thought. He knew Keith wasn't his mother, so he knew this trick wasn't going to work, but he tried anyways.

He shuffled into Keith's room where Keith was sitting on his bed, pulling up his socks. "Good, you're up. We have to train extra today," Keith said, not looking up. Lance groaned.

He flopped down on Keith's maroon bedcover. It was soft and fluffy, and it smelled just like Keith. "And if I were sick, would you let me sleep in?" He asked.

Keith looked at him with annoyance. He started to saying something, but Lance started to break out the puppy eyes. This move always worked on his mother, and Lance was pretty sure it would work on Keith as well.

But if anything, it had the complete opposite effect. Keith looked extremely weirded out and uncomfortable. "L-Lance, stop that," he said, frowning and shifting away from him.

"But I'm so tired," he complained. Keith wasn't having it.

"Go get ready, Lance, or I'll make you run laps." Lance groaned again, sliding off Keith's bed dramatically. He pouted like a child. Eventually, Keith sighed. "Well I mean, I guess you could sleep in." Keith said.

"Really?" Lance asked with a bright smile. Keith nodded.

"Yeah, I was just about to get your and Hunk's surprise. He's meeting me at the gym early, but you can wait here, we'll just see you later." It wasn't a total lie; Keith did have a surprise for them. But Lance didn't look convinced.

"A surprise? What am I, five?" Keith didn't know how to answer that honestly. He just shrugged. "You're so insufferable, you tyrant," Lance grumbled, getting up.

Keith left his room to grab a banana before his morning run. Lance walked into the kitchen ten minuets later; his face mask was gone, and he was changed into fresh gym clothes.

Keith tossed him a banana, and threw away his peel. Lance ate the banana, complaining the entire time about how the sun was barley even up. While he ate, Keith filled two water bottles, and handed one to Lance.

"Don't be a baby, and I really do need to grab a package, so hurry up."

Lance ate his banana in record speed. "Wait, so there's actually a surprise?" Keith nodded.

"Yeah, they should be at the gym. Hunk's going to meet us there." Lance pursed his lips. Of course Mr. Up with the Sun and Sir Morning Jogs thought meeting at 6:30am was a good idea.

Lance needed more friends who woke up at reasonable hours. He also needed friends who owned a car. Owning a car in such a big city was kind of pointless, but it made a difference at 6:30am when you're exhausted.

Unfortunately, Lance was now living on his own, and he had to make his own money and pay for his own things. No more borrowing his parent's car, and no more borrowing his parent's money. Just him and responsibility...

Keith was an exception, Lance later decided. He had been living on his own for awhile, Lance thought he had said. So the fact that he didn't have a car was in turn partly Keith's fault. Why Lance had to suffer by Keith's hand was one of the world's greatest mysteries. It was just a universal constant, and Lance knew no amount of team bonding would change that.

But, Keith didn't live too far away from the pro-bending arena. In a car, it'd take less than three minuets minus traffic. But Lance had to run the whole way there, and he for one wasn't going to let this type of treatment go unnoticed.

"Keith, this is really no way to treat your new roomate!" Lance exclaimed, wondering how Keith was jogging so quickly and barley breaking a sweat. "I think we should invest in a car."

Keith laughed, and it was the laugh that Lance didn't like liking. He knew he liked it, but he disliked liking it. But it was very airy and could easily be confused for one of Keith's surprised laughs. Not that Lance really heard much of those.

"Lance we live in the city, getting a car would be a waste of money."

"What if I need to go into town?" Lance prodded.

"Walk."

"And if I want to visit my parents?"

"Taxi, and besides. We're already here. It only took what, 10 minuets of your whining?" Lance scoffed.

"Whining? I was purposing a very well-supported case." Keith chose not to respond to that as he unlocked an employees only side door.

"Technically, we don't have the gym this morning, but I do have something I need you guys to try out. After that, we'll hit the park and eventually circle back to here," Keith explained, although he wasn't too sure Lance was actually paying attention to that.

Hunk was in the gym by the time they got there. He greeted them good morning, which Lance only grunted at.

"I called you guys here early because I finally got the uniforms. I sent in the order last Tuesday, and I think it'd be a good idea for you guys to break into them before the actual game," Keith said. "And not break, Lance, break in." He warned.

Keith went over to the locker sections of the gym and pulled out a key from his locker. "Ready to see?"

Lance nodded eagerly. He and Hunk stayed in the room while Keith picked up the uniforms from the office.

"I can't wait!" Lance yelled, and Hunk looked equally as excited. "I hope they're not red; it's not really my color, y'know?" Hunk nodded in agreement.

"Red could be my color, but I'm more of a yellow guy." After another few minuets of the two talking about what colors complimented them most (Lance thought that dark blues brought out his eyes, but Hunk wasn't too sure), Keith returned with a large box.

He dropped it on the floor, and kicked it over to Hunk and Lance, who tore up the box instantly. Keith held up his own, and Lance was surprised to say the least. Not a bad surprised, but it was different.

The uniforms were slick and shiny. They looked more like armor than they did pro-bending uniforms, they had no padding and they were more angled, less boxy. Lance rapped his knuckles on the chest piece, and it was solid and firm. Lance was surprised that they could order a different standard of uniforms, and he was also surprised Keith picked something that Lance wouldn't be too embarrassed to be caught in.

The best part? They weren't red, but black and white. Lance thought that achromatic colors were also his thing (not many people would argue against that), but the uniforms did have a splash of color. Each uniform was different, but Lance's was blue. Blue knee caps, blue soles, blue shoulders, blue everything. It was wondrous.

"The black parts are stretchy, kinda one size fits all," Keith told them, demonstrating by pulling the sleeve of his uniform on. The material clung to his arm (no, Lance wasn't staring, not even if Hunk swore he was). "Should fit better than anything you guys get fitted for."

Lance was extremely excited to try his on. He wondered how many girls he could pick up if he wore this around town. _Yeah, I'm a pro-bender. You should come to one of my games, I'd be happy to you there._

"Wait," Hunk asked hesitantly, "these are really different from other benders, are we even allowed to wear these?"

"They're the new standard; there shouldn't be a problem. They're tougher, so if you don't have them, games are more difficult. With that said everyone kind of rushed to get them." Keith told him. He grabbed his uniform and left for the locker room.

Lance was unsure as to why Keith would be uncomfortable dressing in front of them, but he didn't comment aloud. He had been swimming with Hunk loads of times, so Hunk seeing him in boxers wasn't really new.

Lance dressed quickly, hoping no one would come in the gym and discover Hunk and Lance half naked and half covered in spandex.

The suit was tight, but the more Lance moved around the better it felt. The joints weren't covered, allowing Lance to move his limps freely.

Hunk had more difficulties putting his suit on, and Lance blamed it on how clumsy he was. He kept wobbling as he tried to put his legs in the suit.

"Need help?" Lance asked, moving his arm around to get a feel for his new clothes.

"No, no, I got this," Lance didn't think Hunk really had anything going for him at the moment, but something drew his attention away from Hunk.

"Don't forget your helmets." Lance looked at Keith, and he had to clench his jaw crushingly tight to keep it from dropping. Lance knew he was bisexual, but holy shit. Who knew mullet head had legs? And a butt?

Lance swallowed thickly. He wasn't sure what to do. Keith looked good in his suit. Like really good. Red wasn't Lance's color, but shit. Saying it was Keith's color was an understatement.

"Lance?" Keith asked with confusion. Lance thought he looked really cute when he was confused. "Lance!"

Lance looked up. "What? Oh yeah, helmets, thanks," he took his helmet from Keith, and for once in his life cursed the fact he was a waterbender. He could feel the helmet freezing in his hands, and when his hand brushed Keith's... Lance was almost certain he could have turned the entire room into a meat locker.

He put the helmet on, pretending not to feel the freezing cold ice dampen his hair. He wondered if Keith noticed. Hunk certainly did.

"Oh cool, helmets!" Hunk called, and he found his own. It was a tight squeeze, but when it was on it was snug and padded. "Wow, they're actually comfortable." Were they? Lance hadn't noticed.

"Now all we need to do is break them in, and we'll be in top notch shape for the game tomorrow." Keith was happy, and he could say the proudly. Lance was freezing with excitement, and Hunk was grinning so hard, Keith thought his lips were going to tear. He had a really good feeling about tomorrow.

  
Lance laid in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was a nice white, slightly gray with age, but it was clean. The fan turned lazily, and more than ever, Lance felt like a stranger in someone else's house.

Yeah, he lived there now, but it was all so sudden that it didn't feel real; it didn't feel permanent.

Lance took a deep breath. Everything hinged on tomorrow. Tomorrow was finally the day. Everything Lance had done in the past two weeks was all in hopes that tomorrow would go well. He left Garrison; what had once been his dream school. He left shows; what had once been his life's meaning. He left it to become a pro-bender; what he had once despised. And Keith? That was an entirely different story.

Keith. His old rival. The boy he used to think about before closing his eyes every night in hopes of finally beating. He was practically obsessed with him, but in a negative way. It that ass kind of way. Lance knew he had been a jerk, knew he was cocky, and knew he had been arrogant and ignorant. He really hoped that had changed since he met Keith.

So much had happened. He got his ass kicked, and that was a permeant reminder whenever Lance looked down at his arms. He learned a lesson, and Keith had taught him. Lance wondered if he was still angry at Keith. The entire fight had happened so long ago, what felt like years. Keith was angry; Lance was angry. They were both ready to murder back then. And now? Now Lance was sleeping 10ft away from Keith in Keith's house.

Their house...

Despite his brooding thoughts, Lance smiled giddily and turned on his side. He knew that no matter what happened tomorrow, too much had happened for anything to go back to normal, but he was going to try even harder for even more change.

Lance glanced at his phone. There had been a text message on his screen since he first attempted to sleep. Keith told him that he needed to go to sleep early, and that they'd be waking up at 7 for preparations.

Lance didn't expect to have stayed up, but so many things kept him awake. One thought after another. It led from the text, to Keith, to the competition, and back to Keith.

**Yukine: Good luck tomorrow, can't wait to see u compete later**

Lance didn't feel like answering. He liked Yukine; he really did. But he also felt like whenever he was training with her, whenever she clasped his hands in her own calloused hands, that he felt he was betraying Keith. He didn't know why he felt guilty; after all, Keith had said he needed all the help he could get.

Lance flipped over on his other side. If he won, he'd really have to thank Yukine for helping him, for helping him help Keith. It was important to Lance that he help Keith. Some part of him didn't like how Lance was eager to please Keith. He knew it was partly due to wrecking Keith's life, by a lot. But another part of him just had to acknowledge that he wanted to see Keith happy. The more he saw Keith laughing and smiling, the more he wanted to keep him happy.

Lance groaned, flipping on his stomach to try and smother himself in his pillow. He really had it bad for Keith, didn't he?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long (and so short; I also split this chapter in half so you guys would get the edited part faster)! I went back to school clothes shopping (the savings were so amazing...) And my mom wasn't particularly fond of me continuingly editting. They left me to save the table so I finished quickly.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read this and realized I had lost the updated version when I lost the files, so like, I'll had to rewrite a little of this. All the angst tho, that was rewritten specifically to hit hard ;) 
> 
> I italized everything and realized I was going to lose it anywas ლ(ಥ Д ಥ )ლ I gotta do that now...

Hunk was sweating in his new suit. His legs were shaking, and his hands were trembling. This was it. This was the day. Hunk suddenly felt like throwing up everywhere. He eyed the viewing room, seeing no trash can where he could relieve himself.

"Team Red Lion-Panthers?" A man popped his head in their room. Hunk didn't bother to look at him; if he moved to much, he was going to hurl his vegetable soup everywhere."Five minuets." He closed the door, and Lance started pacing.

Hunk felt like puking even more, feeling his nerves start to back his throat up. He tried to take deep breaths, but he suddenly felt very hot. Was it him? Was it the suit? Maybe Keith was anxious as well...

The only person in the room to remain somewhat calm was Keith, so while Hunk realized it was not him heating the room up, he began wondering why Keith was so calm. He had two new players freaking out next to him. If Hunk were Keith, he'd be freaking out. Well, Hunk was freaking out either way...

Lance was muttering to himself in a different language. It was a language only known by some Northern Water Benders. Hunk could recognize it from when Mr. McClain had those long conversations over the phone whenever Hunk spent the night at Lance's old house.

Lance was gripping at his hair, and he didn't look any better than Hunk felt. His face was devoid of any color, and he was biting his lip hard enough to make Hunk wince. If Lance was nervous, then Hunk was even more. Lance had a total two weeks of practice on him! Not to mention Lance was the best bender in Garrison after Keith dropped out. If he was nervous, then what did that mean for Hunk?

Keith stood up, growing weary of the two's solemn auras. It was like the had already lost, and Keith knew confidence was everything in these kinds of matches. He walked up to Lance. He looked like he was about to freeze the entire room with them in it, and Keith wasn't keen on finding out if he'd go through with it.

Hunk was too busy looking out to the see of people filling in the stadium to notice whatever it was that those two were doing. He looked as equally nervous, but Keith was more than hesitant to step in front of him. Fighting in a pro-bending match while covered in Hunk's vomit sounded like the worse thing possible.

"Lance," Keith said softly. He put his hand on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. "Calm down."

"Calm down?" Lance exclaimed. Well, that didn't work; although, Keith should have expected as much. "How can I calm down? First of all, I'm not ready! Secondly, if my parents found out that their son, the pride of the family, joined a pro-bending team—"

"They'd be proud," Keith interjected. "Lance you're more than ready. You've made a hell of a lot of progress since you first joined my team, our team. If your parents saw you, which I highly doubt they will, they'll be amazed at how strong you are." Lance looked at the floor, thinking about what Keith had told him. When he looked back up, he gave Keith a wobbly smile, and nodded. "I trust you." Keith could have stayed like that for hours, having his hand resting on Lance's shoulders, looking into his eyes.

Lance didn't say anything; he wanted to say a million things, but he didn't. He just stood there, and he let himself look back. It was a moment that couldn't really be explained with words. Neither of them could tear their eyes away from each other, like if they did their bond which they had both strived to strengthen this past month would suddenly break. But Lance knew it couldn't break. Win or lose, there was an unspoken partnership, and Lance respected that as much as he loved it.

It was Hunk's retching that brought them out of their bonding moment. Lance's horrified face made Keith turn around to see Hunk flinging a locker door open and grabbing the nearest thing to him. Hunk heaved into a pair of boots he had grabbed, and Keith watched him with utter disbelief. Did he just—?

Hunk felt better at the first wave passed, but the second wave hit and made him feel a lot worse. He carried his... Bucket with him to the bench, sitting down and looking generally miserable.

"Oh, Hunk, that's disgusting," Lance said, pinching his nose in disgust. The vomit was putrid, and it made the rest of the team feel like puking, too. Keith couldn't help but cover his mouth and nose, too.

"Sorry, I'm so s—" Another wave. Lance was somewhat used to Hunk's nervous stomach. He walked over and patted Hunk's pack gingerly.

"Let it out, bud," Lance said softly. "But you having noting to worry about. When push comes to shove, we can use our kickass move." Lance meant to sound encouraging, but he doubted it worked.

There was a knock at the door, and Lance whipped his head around to look at it. Were their five minuets already up? That couldn't be possible. Oh no, he wasn't ready!

The door opened, and a small brown mousy head popped in. "Hey gu—" Pidge began before their hand flung to their nose. "Oh quiznack, what is that smell?" They walked into the room, fanning their eyes. Closely following Pidge was Shay, but she didn't seem to mind the puke as much. It made the others wonder just how often Hunk puked around her to make her so used to it.

"Hunk is a little nervous," Lance told them, putting on his helmet.

"Hey, I'm not the only one, at least I'm not trying to freeze us all," Hunk called back. Lance shrugged, and he could feel his courage seeping back into his bones. It was nice to be among friends, and Lance thrived off of close company.

Shay walked over to Hunk. She wrapped her arms around Hunk's body, cooing to him softly. Pidge sat on the other side of Hunk, trying to cheer him up by handing him some gum.

"You can do it, Hunk, you're an amazing earthbender." Hunk liked Shay's words of reassurance, but they didn't really do much for his nerves.

"Hunk, I'm going to be honest," Keith said firmly to him, walking right into Hunk's splash zone. "Your nerves aren't going to go away until you're on the stage. They might get better, or they might get worse. Trust me when I say if you remember what we trained, then no matter if all of us get knocked out in the first round, we will win. Match victory or not, we'll walk off champions." Hunk smiled at him, glad for the sentiment. He nodded, putting on his helmet and hugging Shay once again.

Lance walked towards Keith, giving him a little nudge with his elbow. "Nice pep, talk, man."

Keith didn't know if Lance was making fun of him or genuinely grateful that Keith had managed to sooth Hunk's nerves. Either way, Keith elected not to say anything. He may have stolen parts of that "pep talk" from one of Shiro's old movies, but it did the job nonetheless.

There was nother knock on the door. The man from just a few minuets before poked his head in. "You guys are up!"

Hunk almost puked again.

  
Lance was feeling so many emotions in just a few moments that he felt like sitting down and pressing his head between his knees. His heart was beating so hard and fast that it drowned out the screams of all the other fans in the entire arena. His legs felt like they were going to melt in seconds.

He felt ice start to run through his veins, and he tried impossibly hard to keep from freezing the metal life that moved them from their break room towards the center of attention. In just a few seconds, Lance will be taking the next step towards the rest of his life.

As if sensing the chill in Lance's body, Keith hesitantly grabbed Lance's hand. Lance could feel the heat on Keith's finger tips melting away the nerves that threatened all the work Lance had done since joining the team. Lance squeezed Keith's hand, thankful for the support.

When their moving platform finally made contact with the stage, the three of them moved towards the center if the stage. Keith and Lance unlaced their hands, and all Lance could do was clench his empty fist.

Hunk still looked beyond nervous; his face was almost completely red. He held his stomach in anticipation. But with his back straight and his shoulders pulled back, Lance knew he looked the most confident of them all.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, benders and nonbenders! Our show for tonight! On the red side we have the Red Lion-Panthers! On the blue, it's the Centi-Eels!"

"Remember," Keith said as they all took their positions. "Only Lance can do head shots. No sand or dust bending and definitely no ice. Lance, be quick." If either Lance or Keith held their bending for longer than a second, they'd be penalized.

The others nodded in agreement as the lights turned on. They waved to audience. Hunk was actively looking for Shay and Pidge in the break room, waving specifically at them. Lance waved to no one in particular. Every face looking back at him was too distant to make out, and Lance felt like he was going to crack under all these faceless screams. This was nothing like a Show-Bending competition.

This was far more terrifying. Lance didn't know where to look. His team? His opponents? The referee? Show-Bending was so easy because all the rules were set. Pro-Bending was a cage match, and Lance was locked inside all the sudden, and he didn't know how to get out.

Keith approached the center. He stood face to face with another player, an earthbender, whom Lance assumed was the team captain. Despite the deafening cheering going on around them, the silence was so thick between the teams that it could be cut with a knife.

Keith shook the opponent's hand, and they both moved away from each other. There was what felt like an hour of pure silence and waiting. Lance could feel it calming him, but all too soon the ref rang the bell, and they all began to move.

It was all very sudden, but also very slow. Hunk had taken to the defense as they had practiced. He used the discs to deflect the incoming attacks. Lance was constantly switching between using his water to attack and shield. He lashed out quickly and evenly spaced, slicing at the players in attempt to push them back.

But the opposing team was also able to intercept their attacks. Neither Lance nor Hunk were swift by pro-bending standards, and while Hunk's defenses were strong, they weren't often quick enough to do much defending. Lance was faster than Hunk, but not by much. His defenses were as strong as Hunk's, but he had equal experience in attacking and defending, so his quick switch ups between the two kept the opposing team on their toes long enough that Keith could gain the upper hand.

Keith was moving a lot faster and more skilled than the other two. But even with his skill, it was his quick reflexes and instinct that made him so formidable. Lance doubted that Keith needed to train as much as he did. He was acting on pure intuition, not experience.

It was difficult for the opposers to land attacks on Keith. Hunk and Lance acted as body guards, putting Keith before themselves, often shielding him but not themselves.

Keith wasn't going to mention it until after the match, and he found himself wishing they'd be defending themselves more. But the more they did it, the more irritated he became. Eventually, it became a big problem whenever Lance would step in front of him to shield him, making it extremely difficult for Keith to actually do any bending. The more Hunk built discs around him and Lance cut opposing attacks, the harder it was for Keith to dodge attacks and move around.

Keith was good at dodging attacks, and he sent his own back. The purpose Lance and Hunk served was to help him keep zones under lock down; that's why he trained them in defense.

If Keith managed to take at least one zone, the round was his. If he was shot back, it was up to Lance and Hunk to keep the round in a draw. Draws were good, Keith had confidence all of his team members could win in a tie-breaker. But if these two got Keith and themselves knocked out in the process, it was game-over for good.

"Lance!" Keith called. "I need you to defend yourself, keep alternating." Lance didn't need explaining and nodded in affirmation. If they got a knock out, no matter how many rounds they lost, they would win the match. This is what Keith needed. He didn't think their team could survive three rounds, and the quicker their opponents went down, the closer they were to victory.

Lance had great aim which was a stark difference from Hunk. Hunk had bad (but steadily improving) aim. This was the weakness in his defenses as often time Keith and Lance had to move towards his defenses in order to avoid being hit, which was a bit besides the point.

Lance was still sluggish, but he had sharp eyes that were able to slice at weakness. He could see moves in the making, despite not being able to act in response to all of them. He ran around like a possum chicken without a head, although to anyone else it looked like he knew what he was doing.

Lance was great at stopping attacks and redirecting water moves, but he was bad at dodging, and that made him a prime target for the opposite team. Lance was desperate to keep himself from being hit. One wrong hit, and he could be flung off the stage.

He had to admit that a lot of his show training did come in handy. He was able to do moves that were almost entirely new to pro-bending. They were complicated and to others they were unnecessary, but when Lance had shown Yukine, she taught him how to use it as an advantage.

Lance had many moves memorized, and they were the only things Lance was able to do quickly. He was as fast as Keith when he performed these moves, and he had learned how to use them. Originally, Lance thought Yukine was going to purpose him using his moves to dodge incoming attacks, but she took it a step forward.

Lance had been looking for a chance to use one of his moves. The first moments of the battle were brutal. Lance been hit with a lot of discs, water gave him awful slap marks, and when fire got too close it burn his eyes and ears and made him stumble. But eventually Lance saw an opening.

Keith was in the center, and Lance was trying to keep him from being pummeled by fire blasts. He knew Keith told him not to, but Lance could feel himself slipping, and the timer was moving quickly. They wouldn't be able to advance if Keith was pushed back. It was obvious to Hunk and Lance that in this situation, if they had to choose between themselves or Keith, Keith would always win.

Hunk was being overwhelmed with attacks. He was a newbie, the opposing team knew, and they used it to their advantage. Hunk couldn't defend himself and the team at once, andKeith was so focused on assisting Hunk, that neither of the two saw the fire blast coming straight for Keith.

"Keith!" Lance called, and he knew it was his chance. The two made eye contact, and it less than a second, but they both knew what was going to happen.

Lance sprang forward, he placed his hands on the ground firmly, swinging his legs in the air. Following his feet was a stream of water, extinguishing the on coming attack. The steam created gave Lance the chance to move out of the way as Keith sent two searing explosions in the opposite direction. The steam was the perfect cover, and Keith's fire erupted from seemingly nowhere. The two attacks planted on the opposing firebender's chest perfectly. He stumbled back, and there was a buzz indicating he had just crossed into the second zone.

The other team members glanced back in shock, and Lance could faintly hear the commentator screaming into the microphone and over the intercom as the arena screamed. "DID YOU SEE THAT—?"

Hunk was surprisingly the quickest of the bunch. In the seconds that the opposing team looked back to their teammate, Hunk lifted two discs, punching in the air and slamming the discs into the other waterbender's chest. The impact was hard, and the discs exploded with the force.

The waterbender was obviously extremely shocked and winded as they were also thrown back into zone three.

"Guys, the time!" Keith yelled. If they pushed back the remaining earth bender in the next two minuets, the round was there's.

Hunk was back on the defensive, and Lance was able to intercept the attacks from all the players. He was grinning to himself. Yukine's move—no, _his_ move—had worked! And it gave them the perfect leverage that they needed to take this round. Lance didn't even care that Keith and Hunk would be teasing him for doing cartwheels in the middle of a match. Right now, he saw victory and only victory.

Keith unloaded all his fire onto the remaining bender. He was hoping to overwhelm the player, making them inch back under the force.

"Keith!" It was Lance. "Throw me in the air." Keith would normally have never done this, and had Lance warned him before the match, he would have smacked him across the head and called him an idiot.

But the stupid waterbender was already running towards him, and Keith didn't have any time to protest. Hunk gave them extra cover, switching to a boxing-like style and becoming quicker in the offense. Now that there was only one player left in zone one, Hunk could lighten his defense. Keith crouched down, his fingers laced together. The second Lance's foot was in his hands, Keith threw him in the air.

Drawing water with him, Lance sent a devastating blow towards the earthbender. He twisted in the air like a top, and his water followed. It was a wide attack—not as wide as his move with Hunk—but Lance was able to push the opposing earthbender back long enough that when he began descending in the air, Keith was able to shoot at him and push the earthbender into zone three.

Hunk and Keith proceeded into the blue territory. Lance was nearing the ground quickly, and he tried to twist himself in the right stance to brace for impact, but Lance landed wrong, and stumbled to the ground. Unable to recover quickly enough, a earth disc to the chest was able to send him sliding two zones backwards.

Lance groaned as he sat up, eyes widening as he rolled away from a jet of water that would have surely knocked him off the ring. He stood up as soon as possible; his head was spinning too quickly, and his breathing was labored and heavy.

This made him angry; that he was so far from the rest of his team, that he had fallen so far behind. He wasn't able to do anymore cool moves, and he wasn't able to help defend. He was stuck here, and suddenly became a prize target.

Hunk was the next to be sent back, but he wasn't sent as far back as Lance. Underneath the pressure to defend both Keith and himself alone, he was inched farther and farther back until his foot slide over back into red territory. With defenses even weaker, Hunk struggled to cover the entire team.

It hurt, but Lance stood up straight had rolled his shoulder. He may have been too far away to help defend, but he was still a great shot, and he'll be damned if he was going to let himself be the weakest link.

Lance sent a series of blade like slices towards his enemies. He could only use the water from the grates in front and behind him, but he was able to aim well enough that his water was able to slice discs in half and stop fire attacks before making contact with his teammates. His water didn't do much against other water bending attacks now that he couldn't control whatever the opposing water bender shot at him, but Hunk was able to cover for those.

Lance swung his arms up in the air in a harsh fashion. His arms did most of the work. In total opposition to firebending, waterbending concentrated on hand movements almost entirely. Lance still used his legs to kick water up to his eye level and bend, but he was relying mostly on his arms to send windmill attacks.

There was only a few seconds until the round was over, and the opposing team took to cornering Keith to try and suppress him. If he slide back, then it'd be a tie. Lance and the rest of his team didn't want to take that chance.

Lance and Hunk weren't having any of that "Attack Only Keith" nonsense. This was their job, and they'd both be damned if they weren't going to win their very first pro-bending round.

Lance had to angle himself, but his shots still hit their marks. He had deadly aim, and as long as he had enough room to move, he could hit any spot on the arena with exact precision. Lance smiled, thinking how he would have made a great Earthbender. But then again, Lance never did like playing in the dirt.

Hunk was able to cover both Lance and Keith, but he left himself wide open. Lance knew Keith was probably making a mental list in his head of everything Lance and Hunk need to work on. Lance was doing the same thing, and he was certain that "don't get flung two zones back" was at the very top.

Lance sent more attacks to shield Keith, and Keith took every opportunity to run closer the the line in an effort to keep from being pushed back. There was less than ten seconds on the clock, surely Keith could hold out for just a few more moments.

Suddenly, all three opposing benders coordinated their attacks and shot Keith at the same time. Lance didn't know if they could have defended against even if they were given a head start.

Keith tried to block the bombardment with his arms, but it was too strong and pushed him back. The bell rang just as he fell back into zone one. Lance held his breath. Was it a draw? Did they win the round?

It was too close for Lance to call from where he was standing. The referee took a moment to think, but eventually, he raised his hand. Lance heard a cheer, but he wasn't exactly sure what had just happened.

The three of them returned to the center. Keith was breathing heavily, and Lance was frowning in confusion. Lance trotted towards them, and heard a loud clang. He glanced at the characters on the scoreboard. His mouth gaped open.

"We won the first round!" He screamed suddenly, running up to his other teammates. Keith nodded, and finally caught his breath.

"It was close, but you guys did great. We still have two more rounds. Remember, whoever gets a totally knocked out loses, no matter the score." They nodded, and despite the seriousness, Lance couldn't help but continue to shake with excitement. He had to resist the urge to throw his arms around his teammates and scream into their ears. All nervousness from before was gone and replaced by the urge to win.

"Where'd you learn to move like that?" Hunk asked Lance. The opposing group was regrouping, whispering and looking at them. They probably should have taken this time to figure out a strategy, but no one on their team could think straight enough.

Keith looked at Lance as if he wanted to know as well.

"I thought you'd recognize it, Hunk. It's a show bending move," he explained, and he couldn't help but let his cockiness seep in his voice. Whether it was actually cockiness or pride was a question up for debate.

"Keep those moves up, if you can," Keith said, looking at the other team closely. He opened his mouth to speak more, but he was cut off by the sound of a bell.

The team readied themselves for the second fight. Lance was already exhausted, and his chest hurt, but the adrenaline was enough to let him run a marathon. He felt like running in place as a warm up, maybe jumping around to warm up.

Lance put his hands up in preparation, and the other benders followed in suit. "Round two! Begin!" The bell rung again, and all hell broke loose once again.

Lance was still shitty at dodging, and he didn't know if his body was able to take as many hits as he was taking, but he choose to ignore the pain. He felt the pain, but at the same time it was numb to his brain, and he couldn't being himself to stop fighting as hard as he was.

Hunk was speeding up, and while he wasn't able to intercept moved as well as Lance, his gusto with his attacks and sturdiness of his defenses more than made up for it.

Keith was the fastest on the team still, despite the heavy hit he took just a few moments ago. He was less into forcing himself on one enemy and more invested into forcing them all back at the same time. His experience in fighting this way, while not generally effective, was a great asset when coupled with Lance's aim and Hunk's strength.

Lance was again running around the arena like a hog-roster, but he was getting a better feel for his enemies fighting styles. His water-bending slices were almost deadly, and they were his greatest weapon. He never aimed a sharp attack at the players, their padded uniforms would absorb most of the attack, but he was able to catch most of the attacks. While his reaction times weren't quick, his defenses were, and he was able to counter most of what was thrown at his team.

Keith was working well, and so was Lance, but it was Hunk who began to falter.

No one on his team would hold it against him. Hunk was just too inexperienced to take blame, but it was a double-attack that sent him flying towards the edge of the ring.

It happened out of nowhere. A disc flew towards Hunk, and using his hands, he broke the plate with his bending. But the dust was the perfect distraction, and Hunk felt a heavy push throw him back. It was the water bender, and Hunk had just gotten a painful face of their forceful blast.

The attack had hit him so hard he bounced off the side ropes, sending him even farther down the ring and closer to the lake below.

Hunk sputtered and coughed in the last zone, obviously dazed. Lance wanted to call out to him, to help him, but another attack forced Lance to remain on the defensive.

The opposing firebender was too quick for Lance, and a fireball later, Hunk had backed off the arena. Lance gritted his teeth hard as he watched Hunk disappear over the edge. They were down one player and almost their entire defensive strategy was ruined.

Lance knew he was getting distracted, and that was dangerous. He tried to regain his concentration and trail of thought, but the other team was starting to become overwhelming, and it was hard to both think and act at the same time.

"Lance!" Keith called, and as fast as he could, Lance was by his side. "Trust me. Back to back."

Lance pressed his back against Keith's. It was extremely risky. If either if them were knocked off, it could send them both into the last zone, or worse, end the entire match in an easy two-for-one knock out. But Lance believed that Keith knew what he was doing, and stepped behind him closely.

They worked together as a dangerous pair. They were risk and gain; hold and throw; shield and sword. One moment Keith was shooting the entire team in a barrage of fire; the next, Lance was deflecting their attacks with his water shields and interceptions. It was almost like having only one player on their team. A really skilled and fast player that knew how to kick ass.

The team's hits were more constant, but Lance was able to deflect most of them, or at the very least take the butt of them.

The first win of the evening was when one of Lance's defenses cut through a weak disc and hit the other waterbender in the chest. Reacting almost instantly, Lance turned, and Keith was able to zero in on the waterbender and blast them into the last zone with a swift kick and punch.

It was too late to turn back around, though. And Keith's eyes widened as a disc was aimed for them. The player must have thought it'd be the Lance who would take the attack because it was aimed right for Keith's face. Lance was the taller of the two, but Keith wasn't sure this move was even legal with Lance's height advantage. In a last ditch effort to shield himself, Keith covered his face with his arms, but the attack never came.

Distantly he heard Lance cheering, and they switched spots quickly so that Keith could recover. How had he not been hit? Keith looked up and suddenly thanked the stars and all that was holy. Hunk, that glorious bastard, had pulled himself up from the edge of the ring by the skin of his teeth. He had saved Keith's face and the entire game for them. He was obviously hurt. He was breathing slowly like it was painful, but he gave Keith a crooked smile. Keith grinned back.

Lance turned over again, and Keith was back to face the benders. He shot at their legs, making them stumble. When he switched around, Lance tried to topple them with head shots.

Hunk was back, and while his aim still needed a lot of work, he was able to provide all the cover they needed to retake this match.

Lance and Keith separated. They each claimed a bender, Lance focusing on distracting the earthbender so that Keith and Hunk could team up on the firebender. Hunk's shots usually missed, but he was able to make the firebender's footing unstable enough that Keith was able to gradually push him back.

The timer was ticking, and Lance was getting slightly desperate. Before, he had though he could take the draw. But they were all beaten up. As much as Lance was proud of Hunk, the other bender had the advantage over him.

Keith grunted. He could feel himself getting tired, his bending becoming weaker. He needed to finish this quickly, he wasn't too confident in the team's drawing abilities, either.

But the opposite team was equally tired, if not more. The great defense Lance and Hunk had set up in the first round had put a number on the opposing team, and their bending was starting to thin and weaken.

Keith bended backwards into a handspring to avoid being seared by a fire blast. He wondered if he could use one of Lance's moves.

He might as well try. When Keith's hands touched the cold metal, he kicked his legs together and used his momentum to send an uppercut shot. The move propelled his handspring into a fast, making his body hit the ground like a spring trap.

He fell on his face harshly. His body was bent at awkward angles he thought his arms most certainly should never be forced into again, but he didn't feel any pain and took that as a good sign. The opposing firebender was hit in the chest, and the force was enough to send him flying back into zone two.

With two benders behind the line, Lance took his shot to go full offensive.

While Hunk and Keith were more forceful with their attacks, Lance was more fluid and rhythmic. He felt like he was engaged in a dance with the other bender. He was able to twist and turn expertly, and his attacks were relentless. He sliced opposing attacks in half effortlessly, and he found himself smiling. He shot water quickly and from all directions. He was actually using an old routine from when he was a child. It focused more on jet streams—as was costumed for beginners, but as the rules stated moves could only be a second or shorted, his routine was sped up and choppy, but effective nonetheless.

The earthbender wasn't getting any much needed support from his teammates. Keith and Hunk were driving the firebender and waterbender to the brink. The two were so exhausted that they couldn't bend back and were forced to dodge endless attacks.

Lance finally sent the earthbender flying backwards with a headshot. He hadn't meant to really injure the player, but a stray disc and overestimated slice sent the player skidding backwards with a water-clogged nose.

The earthbender was knocked into the waterbender, and the two of the tumbled into the pool below.

There was only thirty seconds left and only one firebender. The firebender was breathing hard, still putting up their fist in a fight. Lance admired the firebender for that, but Lance was still looking at the only thing between his and their very first victory. If they knocked him out, they'd win the entire match. If the firebender managed to stay on, they'd have to fight another round. Lance wasn't sure if he had that round in him anymore.

"Now!" Keith yelled. Hunk chucked rocks towards the firebender, and Keith was quick with his fire bending. "Lance, we should do the thing." The thing? The thing that got Lance blasted two zones last time? The thing that was making breathing extremely hard and difficult for him?

"I thought you'd never ask," Lance said, and he ran towards Keith with Hunk as their cover. Keith kneeled and laced his fingers quickly.

The opposing firebender knew what was happening the moment he saw it, and he mustered up the strength for a final attack, but it wasn't fast enough. Lance was already thrusted in the air, and he swiped his arms down, cutting the air and sending the firebender tumbling off the edge.

The bell rang when Lance landed unsteadily in the the second blue zone. It was almost surreal everything that had just happened.

They won. They won with a knock out. Three large bells rang, and Lance glanced at the scoreboard. 'Round 2 Red Lion-Panthers' 'Knock out' 'Red Lion-Panthers Win'.

Lance started screaming wildly, and Hunk did, too. Hunk even went as far as sweeping Lance up in his arms and spinning around wildly before setting him down to do the same to Keith. They were drowned out by the rest of the statium, and Lance had never felt so happy. Keith was trying not to smile, as this wasn't his first win, but he failed. He was just as dizzy as Lance, and that made him grin.

Lance ran towards Keith, throwing his arms around him. Keith was stiff in his arms, but when he reached up to return the hug, Lance hoisted him and began spinning around. When Lance put him back down, Keith was even more dizzy, and he had to wait a moment to be able to think clearly enough to decide if he was increasingly dizzy because of the spinning or because Lance was hugging him so firmly. Keith was blushing a bright red, but he ran over to join Hunk and Lance howling in victory.

"We won! We won with a knockout!" Hunk yelled.

"Not if it weren't for you! You popped out of nowhere! We thought you had been blasted into the water, Mr. Team Rocket!" Hunk blushed at Lance's remarks, rubbing the back of his head. But his smile and footing was not shy or sheepish, not anymore. The three of them were basking in their glory as they raced off the arena and back to the break room where Shay and Pidge were waiting.

When Shay and Hunk saw each other, they ran into an embrace. It was not unlike what Keith and Lance had just done in front of all those people, but Shay was holding Hunk's head in her hands as she kissed him passionately.

Keith wondered if he'd ever be able to walk if Lance kissed him like that. Not that he was thinking of Lance kissing him. Ever. No.

Pidge jumped onto Lance the minuet he was in the room. They were yanking at his shirt and cheering like a wild hog-monkey. "You were amazing! I've never seen moves like those before!" Lance blushed at the compliment.

"Well you know me," he said in quick recovery, "I'm full of surprises." Keith was the next to be bombarded by shaking and hugs. There was a lot of questioning by Pidge like how he was able to move so fast, what that crazy move he pulled on that fire bender was, and he how was able to dodge moves so expertly. Keith didn't have any answers to those questions either, and he told Pidge such.

"Guys!" Hunk called. They all looked at him with bright faces. "It's time for a celebration."

  
Keith and Lance were both near tipsy. They had both promised not to drink much as they were planning on some early training tomorrow, but they both did have a drink, and it was glorious. So they had another. And maybe another. And by this time Lance decided just to call quits with all the counting.

Pidge was still too young to drink, but they were able to steal a few sips of Hunk's Red Sangria. Everyone could tell that Pidge was accustomed to drinking just by the way their face twisted—or rather didn't twist—despite Pidge only being 18 years old.

They were at a restaurant as Pidge was technically not allowed in any bars (it never stopped them before), and Lance was sure to order the first thing he saw with the word 'sea kelp'. It was a personal favorite of his, but it was as a little expensive. After their win, however, Lance was willing to spare the extra bucks in celebration.

Keith went straight for the meat and picked out pork-roster ribs. Hunk and Shay decided to split a large platter of krill fish, and Pidge got themselves a small meal of teriyaki chicken beef.

The celebration went long into the night. It seemed to go by in a blur of emotion and conversation, mostly laughing and the pure feeling of bliss and pride.

Keith had never remembered any of his match wins being celebrated as lively as this one. He knew the occasion was special, though. Hunk and Lance really rose against the odds, and Keith knew that was worth celebrating. Each bite of food and every sip of whatever it was he was drinking was in acknowledgement of Lance and Hunk's strength.

Pidge was the first to leave the celebration. It was extremely late, and since they weren't legally allowed to get drunk, they called their night to an end before the rest, and told them they'd call them tomorrow.

Normally, Lance would be the third wheel whenever he was out with Shay and Hunk, something that was becoming more the frequent. The amount of people never changed this, but for the first ever, the couple themselves felt like the third wheels.

Lance and Keith were constantly talking to each other, and their words were often accompanied by touches on the shoulder or arm. Once or twice they even went as far as holding each other's hand. Normally, this didn't account for much, but Hunk and Shay realized just from how the two were looking at each other that they had declared the night their's.

Hunk and Shay found it endearing. They talked about it in whispers, but eventually they left as well. Hunk wanted to walk Shay home, and she had an early work shift tomorrow.

After Hunk and Shay left, Lance and Keith followed. They never stopped looking at each other the entire time. They rose from their seats together and left together. Nothing could crush their mood. They were both a step below from being drunk, and it was the perfect mood for them to talk in.

Lance had taken everything he said about wanting a car back because walking with Keith back to their apartment was one best moments in the entire day, and he had just won his first pro-bending match. The night was warm and sticky, and Lance was still beyond sore from earlier.

They talked about anything and everything. From the match, to Lance's shitty music (he'd defend it to the death), and somehow along the way they were stopped. The night was somehow comforting. They were alone, but they weren't. The stars were impossible to see anywhere in the city, but the moon was half full and that made Lance feel safe. The power it gave him was nothing compared to the feeling he felt looking at Keith.

The two of them just looked at each other. Lance had forgotten why they stopped, and he thought maybe it had something to do with Keith mentioning the moon, but Lance never looked up, and neither did Keith.

Lance and Keith locked eyes. The sounds of the street and fire crickets around them was like a sweet lullaby. They sung to the two of them like it was out if a Disney movie, and Lance felt like in a matter of seconds firemoths would circle around them and light up their faces.

Lance felt himself move slowly into Keith, and Keith moved closer to. It was scary, really. Every time Keith had been as close as he was in that moment, he and Lance were fighting. But they weren't doing that right now. No, what they were doing was so much different.

Lance felt his breath hitch, and his eyes started to close slowly as he leaned in closer. Keith grabbed his hand with one gloved hand, and Lance could feel the warmth in his finger tips. With the other, Keith slowly guided his hand towards Lance's cheek, and they grew closer until their foreheads were almost touching.

Lance was a little embarrassed to admit that it would have been his first kiss. He had no experience in kissing no matter what he told his friends. And the fact it was Keith that he was kissing did like little to ease his nerves.

You could throw him into any pro-bending fight, and Lance doubted he'd be any less nervous that at that very moment. He could feel ice leave his feet and crawl across the sidewalk. He guessed Keith was just as nervous because Lance's ice melted before they could reach the firebender's shoes.

Lance could feel Keith's breath on his lips. Lance wanted to close the space between them quickly, but he felt like he was moving through jello.

He didn't try and move any further. He felt like something was holding him back. So Lance stopped, still less than an inch away from Keith. He was right there; he was so close, but Lance didn't kiss him. He couldn't.

Keith had been thinking about Lance the entire time at the restaurant, trying to figure out when it happened, when he truly started falling in love with the boy in front of him.

Was it the hug after the match that set him off? Was it Lance's gentle singing? Was it when Lance gave up everything to fulfill a promise to Keith? Or was it the day Lance had first danced with him, showed him the wonders of show bending? Cheered him on despite what Keith had done to him?

Keith had a feeling it went all the way back three years ago when the kid who smelled like fruit and candy lotion first sat next to him on his first day at Garrison.

But Lance wasn't kissing him, and Keith was started to panic. Lance had stopped; he was ridged under Keith's touch, and Keith was confused. Did he not want this? Why did he stop? So Keith stopped, too.

Lance was waiting, and Keith was waiting. They both stood there, both frantically thinking about what was happening. They didn't know what they were trying so desperately to hide, but they needed to tuck it away. Lance wanted Keith to make the move, to give him the sign that this was it. This was everything he needed.

Keith was getting frustrated right now. He thought Lance liked him. He had thought that Lance wanted to kiss him. Keith was asking Lance to kiss him. He was begging for Lance to kiss him. But Lance wasn't giving him an answer. He didn't move away or closer. He was just making Keith even more confused.

Now Keith was getting upset. Angry, even. Why had Keith done this? Why did he assume Lance liked him? Why was he putting himself in this situation? Why was he putting Lance in this situation? This was a mistake.

Keith pulled his hand back from Lance's cheek, trying not to think about how soft and cool to the touch it was. He sighed in frustration, but Lance didn't let go of his hand. Instead, Lance pressed his forehead against Keith's.

Lance didn't deserve Keith. That's what something in his brain was telling him. He didn't get to have Keith because Keith was great, and Lance was just... Lance. Lance knew in some way it was irrational, but he didn't care. He was so scared, so frightened at the thought that Keith would leave him. It was the same voice that made him hate Keith back at Garrison. The one that told him that Keith was out to get him, that Keith would always be better than him, and that Lance was nothing. But it was wrong, right?

Lance just wanted this moment. He wanted everything Keith was willing to give him. But he wasn't going to take it. Not yet. He needed time to think. He needed to be sure that this was what he wanted; that this was a risk he was willing to make. He didn't want to loose Keith.

But Keith was also so impulsive, and that scared Lance. Normally, being all fist-first-questions-later and temperamental was what Lance liked about him. It added so much to his charm, to how strong Keith was and projected himself to be. But Lance also feared it because he knew that he could be left behind. Keith had been patient with Lance all these weeks, and Lance was grateful, but that wasn't who Keith was. Lance needed time. He wanted the choice to be able to assess the situation by himself with himself. This was too important to rush into. What would happen if they did date? What would change? How would pro-bending change? Would they be roommates or a couple?

Keith didn't have these answers because he didn't care. He relied on instinct, and so when his body said to kiss Lance, he tried to do just that. But there was so much more to it.

Keith was almost shaking. Whether it was from anger or sadness, he didn't know. What was Lance trying to pull? Why did Keith feel like his heart was breaking?

He was watching everything he and Lance had done the past month slowly unravel, and he was trying to cling onto it. But Lance was clinging, too, and they were caught in a tug-o-war pulling at different ends. Everything was unraveling and _it wasn't fair!_

Lance should have smelt like sweat and rubber form the bending tournament; Keith knew that he did, and Lance should have had sea kelp breath. But he didn't. He smelled like Lance: the same fruit lotion from three years ago, and the same chapstick from that Keith had smelt when he first found himself face to face with Lance, challenging him to a fight. And Keith hated that. He hated it so much. Why did it have to be Lance? Why?

Keith knew why. And in a way, Keith knew why Lance was stopping. Lance was scared. Keith had fallen in love with all those moments when Lance let his guard down. When Lance wasn't trying to prove anything. It make Keith feel like Lance trusted him. So why was he holding back now? Why didn't he trust Keith? What was his scared of? I'm not going to hurt you!

Keith was devastated over this. Devastated and angery and frustrated, and so many feeling he couldn't put to words. All he asked for was the Lance trusted him. But he wouldn't. He didn't.

Keith tore his hand away, and moved farther away from Lance. It was bitter-sweet because the relief it provided was almost as overwhelming as the need to go back to him and try all over again. But Keith couldn't. Not when Lance had just stepped on his heart. Not when it felt like the very foundation Keith had constructed his new life on was weathering away to nothingness.

They continued walking home. They talked as if nothing had changed, as if that moment had never even happened. But it did happened, and they did change. Everything changed. Everything was different.

Keith wanted to be as far from Lance as possible, but it was Lance who was his remedy whenever he was hurt. The past four weeks have been smoothed and healed by Lance, and now Keith didn't know how to function without it.

He wanted to punch a wall. He wanted to burn down an entire forest. He wanted to plunged himself in the ocean and burn so hot it evaporated into clouds. But instead he threw his hands in his pocket and kept as silent as possible. He was angry, angry that Lance had broken his heart, and angry at himself. But he wasn't angry at Lance. He didn't think he could ever be angry at Lance, not anymore. 

And just when he thought his entire night couldn't have gone any worse, it got a lot worse.

"Hey, you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want an alternate ending I wrote that as well:
> 
> "Keith," Lance whispered in his ear hoarsely. "Be the Dragon to my Donkey."
> 
> "Oh for fuck's sake, Lance."


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took soooo long to edit I'm sorry! I knew over-sleeping orientation was bad, but actually having to go to the make-up was even more work.
> 
> Happy (late) birthday ArmorRound! I'm sorry this was late! Hope your day was filled with lots of happy wishes ╰(◕ᗜ◕)╯ 
> 
> Also went to a party today and it was basically a bunch of freshmen playing video games that I didn't know, so I left ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ there was a cute puppy tho.

"Hey, you!" Keith heard a call. He frowned in annoyance. He really didn't feel like being bothered at the moment, and he made sure his face portrayed this fact. He turned around and saw two men in dark coats stalking towards them from across the street.

"Us?" Lance asked. He sounded equally annoyed. The men were mean looking, wearing snarls and glaring eyes. Their eyes were an amber yellow, and their large teeth protruded from their snaring lips. They were hard to see in the dim lights, and that made Keith especially cautious.

Keith sized them up immediately. There was a chance he could be wrong in assuming they meant nothing good, but he was inclined to believe his instincts. They looked like trouble, so Keith was going to prepare for such.

"Yeah, you! You're a waterbender aren't you?" The man said it accusingly, and when he got close enough he poked Lance firmly in the chest. Lance gripped his hand and threw it away from him, stepping closer to look over him. Lance had a four inches on the smaller man, and the other was just slightly taller than Keith.

"Yeah, and what of it?" Lance spat venomously, and Keith could feel his cautiousness around these men. They both smelled a fight, and both weren't very sure what the fight was about.

"I bet you weren't even born here. You backwards waterbenders wouldn't know civilization if it looked you in the face," Lance looked a taken back. His eyes widened in anger, and he took a another step closer to the man, trying to tower over him.

"You're right. I wasn't born here. What're you going to do about it?" He growled back. The man in front of him laughed, and that's when Keith noticed the knife in his hand. Keith watched in horror as the man lunged for Lance's throat, and Lance stumbled back, throwing up his arm. The dirty street water collected instantly, freezing the man's arm in a small glacier, just shy of cutting the skin of Lance's neck. With his other arm, Lance held his throat protectively, obviously shaken up.

The other man reached for his knife, but before he could draw it, Keith was behind him, gripping his wrist tightly and twisting it behind his back. He held a small and concentrated flame against the man's throat. "Try it, I dare you, but I can't guarantee you'll ever be able to speak again."

Lance started to breath heavily, and his head was spinning a million miles a second. He couldn't believe it. That man had just tried to kill him. For being born in the Water Tribe? "Y-you're Galra, aren't you?" Lance didn't mean for it to come out as feeble as it did, and the men heard his voice waver.

"Yeah, and when the Galra are done, the Earth Kingdom will belong to Earth citizens! We don't want you damn waterbenders polluting our cities," he hissed, violently trying to yank his arm free of it's prison. He then glared at Keith. "And it doesn't surprise me you hang with fire nation trash. Don't think we've forgotten what your people did to us!" Keith clenched his jaw tightly. He kicked out the knees of the man he was holding. The man toppled over easily, and Lance frozen his hands and knees to the ground. Keith didn't extinguish his flame. He squeeze his hands into closed fists, and the fire only grew bigger. It burned so hot it was almost too bright to look at. Lance bit his lip nervously, at a loss to do. He was in shock, to say the least, and between the two men and Keith looking like he was going to murder made him even more numb.

Keith glanced at Lance, and he had never seen the waterbender so scared before. The knife had almost grazed his skin, and Keith was sure that a month ago, that attack would have killed him. Without any of that pro-bending training, that would have too close of call.

If Keith wasn't angry before, he was angry now. Being mad at Lance was much different than being mad at these men who had almost killed Lance. He had the urge to bury these men where no one could hear them scream and leave them there. If they had succeeded in hurting Lance... It would not have been pretty for any of them.

Keith glanced at the man on his hands and knees. He hadn't said anything this entire time. Keith inhaled sharply, and kicked him in the stomach. It wasn't too hard, but Keith still did it with full intention of hurting him.

"What about you? What do you have to say?" Keith spat. The man didn't look up, but when he spoke, his voice was clear and even.

"When I get out of this ice, I will gut you in front of the city for every firebender and waterbender to see. You will be the example that sends all you damn benders out if our land. You will not infest our world anymore." Keith regretted asking. He backed away slowly and dissolved the flame. He had never heard something so twisted before and never had it been directed directly at him. The feeling that it brought was horrifying.

Keith felt Lance grasp his hand. Given any other situation, Keith would have snatched it back and sneered at him, but he knew he needed Lance's support in the moment as much as Lance needed his. This was something big that neither of then had ever experienced.

"We should call the police," Lance said.

"Go ahead! But there will be more of us!" The man with the frozen arm said. He beat at the ice with his free arm, but it was frozen solid. He went to say more, but Lance froze his mouth closed as well.

Lance called the police on his phone. Suddenly, Republic City felt a lot less safer than it did just a few days ago. He had no idea that the Galra would be here. It didn't make sense. There were too many different types of benders. The Earth Kingdom capital made sense, but to go into the most diverse city in the world? What was their purpose in doing that?

The police arrived quickly much to Lance and Keith's relief. When they got there, Keith had let go of Lance's hand and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Keith stood over the two men to asset himself as he and Lance watched them be handcuffed and thrown in the back of a police Satomobile. The officers questioned Lance and Keith quickly, but the two of them didn't have many answers.

"You kids should keep indoors at night. The Galra are growing so quickly; we can't be sure when or where they'll attack next. Keep your eye on the news and stay safe." They nodded, and when the police left, they finished their walk home.

It was terrifying to think that if Keith and Lance had been spotted only moments later, those men would have known what building they lived in. Lance didn't want to even think about being threatened out of his new home, but more than that, if they had come to hurt Keith... Well, Lance wasn't sure if he would have just left them with a bruised stomach. There was something different about being attacked and thinking about someone close to you being attacked.

Some part of Lance realized that if Keith hadn't be there, Lance wouldn't be here. If the two men had lunged for him at the same time, Lance would be done for. It was strange to think bending wasn't very helpful when you're about to be stabbed by a knife less than a foot away from you. Bending had always been considered the ultimate form of offense and defense, but now Lance wasn't too sure. Sure, bending was powerful, but so was were the words spoken by those men. That was a force strong enough to strike fear into Lance where he had never felt fear before.

And despite knowing that alone he was a goner, Lance would have also given anything to prevent Keith from seeing that, from hearing what those men had said. The fact was, Lance was wrong. The Galra were in their city, and they didn't give two shits who they were attacking. Lance couldn't save Keith from that, no matter how much he wanted to.

Keith made a point of locking and bolting the door. The two of them stood quietly in their apartment both facing the door, and it took everything for Lance not to collapse into a dinning chair and scream. Lance looked to Keith, but Keith was turned away from him. Lance's chest hurt. He wanted Keith to look at him, but at the same time he knew if Keith did Lance wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes.

Lance ran a hand through his hair, exhaling softly. He was still pretty anxious at everything. What he needed was a blanket and hot drink behind another locked door. He hands threatened to shake, and his knees were weak underneath his weight.

He looked at Keith who was still staring at the door knob like it was going to unlock itself and let in those men. Suddenly, Keith turned and jumped on Lance, hugging him tightly. Lance didn't need to be told twice, and Keith had spoken very clearly.

Lance hugged him back immediately. It was much better than the blanket and drink Lance was previously imagining. Nothing came close to the protection that Keith's presence offered. Lance wanted nothing more than to stay in his arms, to forget the last hour had ever happened.

He expected Keith to be as scared as him, to be just as upset that they were attacked. The Galra were in their city; they were attacking their people. He could feel the quick and hard pound of Keith's heart through their chests. He assumed that Keith was just as afraid as Lance was.

But Keith wasn't scared, not at all. "If they had hurt you..." His grip on Lance's jacket tightened. Lance shivered. He sounded so angry. He sounded scary. Lance was afraid of this Keith, and while he appreciated the sentiment that Keith was angry for him, he was afraid to know to think about just what Keith would do for him. No, Keith wasn't scared. He was furious. Upset enough to do extreme damage. "If they had even landed a hand on you..."

"They didn't," Lance said softly into his hair, his hand pushing Keith's back as if to try and pull him even closer. "They didn't hurt me."

  
Lance sliced a earthbending disc out of the air, and sent a blast of water towards Keith. Keith evaporated it with one hand, and kicked a powerful shot at Hunk with his right foot. Hunk blocked it with a disc, simultaneously sending another disc towards Lance.

They had been out if sync for the past three days. Ever since Keith and Lance almost kissed last Monday, their dynamic has been all over the place. Hunk didn't ask any questions yet, but Lance could tell he was getting fed up with how they were working together.

"Okay, stop," Hunk said seriously after Keith's shot missed intercepting Lance's water and hit Lance instead while Keith got a nose full of water, knocking them both to the floor. "I hate to be the voice of reason every single time, but something is up and we have match in two weeks. If we don't get our act together, we won't be considered for the championship. So get it together."

Lance tried to look anywhere in the gym other than at Hunk, who would have sniffed him out in seconds, or Keith, who would probably be angry with him for even glancing in his general direction. Lance was certain everyone in the room was extremely frustrated, and because of that, he was getting frustrated, too. And what topped the sundae with a cherry was the fact that they were all frustrated at Lance.

"Maybe we should take a break, for a week or something. You guys were just attacked by the Ga—" Keith interrupted him before he could speak, and Lance was glad. He really didn't want the reminder of what had happen that night. Already their friends were giving the two uneasy looks of sympathy, and Lance just wanted to forget the fact that he had almost had his throat slit by a stranger.

"No, we can't afford to lose that time. We barley won the last match and that was us being evenly caught up. The matches are going to get harder, and we need to shape up quickly or the next match could be our last."

"He's right; we'll be fine," Lance thought that maybe he was lying. Maybe the Galra had shaken him up a lot more than he'd like to admit, but he needed to put on a brave face. He wanted to win those matches; he wanted to pro-bend, and the Galra weren't going to stop him.

"Then both of you need to concentrate," Hunk walked across the gym to pick up a heavy exercise ball. "We can do this, but only if we trust in each other."

Keith snorted in amusement, and Lance glared at him. "Got a better idea, mullet?" Lance asked accusingly.

"Yeah, I do," Keith said back, stepping closer. "Find something that doesn't rely on trust because someone on this team doesn't have any." Lance shoved Keith back away from his personal space, and Keith pushed Lance's hands off his chest.

"Don't touch me," Keith snarled. Lance was getting pissier by the second.

"What are you going to do? Firebend at me?" Keith looked shocked at what his said, and Lance felt suddenly guilty. He wanted to apologize and take it back. He knew that was a low shot. But wasn't he the victim? He was the one constantly being firebended at. He deserved to lash out.

Keith looked away from him. Honestly, if you had asked Lance if he cared that Keith burned him four days ago, he would have said no and defended Keith actions in one breath. He knew Keith was sorry, and Lance realized that everything Keith did was feeding into this. Lance knew Keith had a harder time verbalizing his feelings, and that's why he had never brought up the burns. He realized that Keith was remorseful and was trying his best to make it up to Lance. And Lance had long forgiven Keith. He wasn't sure when he forgave him, but he did a long time ago. Up until Monday, Lance would have trusted Keith with his life. But now he wasn't so sure. Now he didn't know if he trusted Keith.

Keith was right. Their team wouldn't be able to work like this. They didn't trust each other. And before you know it, their team was going to fall apart like the previous Red Panther-Lions.

"Hey!" Hunk yelled. He threw the ball at Lance, and Lance caught it, getting the wind knocked out of him. "What is wrong with you guys? You haven't bickered like this in weeks! Not since Lance joined the team." Lance threw the ball back. He didn't have the strength to toss it as hard or far as Hunk. But Hunk was surprised that Lance threw it so roughly.

"Well, maybe that was a mistake, too," Lance said, tearing off his helmet and gear. He stormed out of the room, ignoring Hunk calling out his name. He wanted to think by himself, and he hadn't had that chance all week. He wanted to sit and think about Keith and the Galra and his future. He just wanted to be alone.

Lance walked in the corridor, glancing out a window. The pro-bending arena sat in a bay on top of a wooden platform. It was the perfect place for a waterbender to go off and think. If Lance got down there, he'd be off scotch free. As far as the water stretched was fair game for Lance to call as his own. Anyone else would have to use a boat to get him, but with his waterbending he'd be free to detach himself for a few hours.

Lance opened the window, and climbed onto the ledge. Moving his arms in a circular motion, a funnel of water rose from the bay and created a firm platform that Lance could stand on.

"Lance, what are you doing?" Keith said behind him. Lance couldn't help but to look back at him. His face was set and stern, and Lance could tell he wasn't happy about Lance storming out in the middle of practice.

"Leaving." Lance stepped onto the vortex and began to lower himself down. He didn't expect Keith to jump on with him, and Lance was so shocked he almost lost control of the entire funnel. "What the hell?" Lance asked, trying to stabilize the bending. Grabbing Keith around the waist firmly, he lowered them onto the deck below quickly. The moment their feet touched the ground, Lance let go of him and started walking away.

"Look," Keith said firmly. "I know things are rough between us—"

"Rough? Rough! You are so damn angry at me all the time! Hunk wants to cancel practice, and I almost got my throat slit the other night! Rough is cutting it a little too close!"

"I'm not angry at you, Lance." Lance didn't believe that for one second. Keith said it in a monotone voice, but Lance could tell how much he struggled against yelling.

"Just leave me alone! It's not hard, Keith! Just turn the other way and keep walking!" Lance yelled.

"I'm angry because I'm confused! I'm not angry at you," Keith clenched his fists in an attempt to remain calm, but he was losing his edge.

"I think I just told you clearly what you should do," Lance said again, turning his back to Keith. Just one plunge in the bay, and Lance would be scotch free. Lance tried to take a step forward and off the boardwalk, but Keith grabbed his arm to stop him. Lance hated how gentle it was. That wasn't fair. Keith knew he wanted to leave, and he knew that Lance didn't have the nerves to tear himself away.

"I will! Just... I need to ask you something." He said it carefully, like he had been thinking about it all day.

"What?" Lance demanded.

"Does your chest hurt?" Lance frowned in surprise. Yeah, his chest hurt; it's been hurting for days.

"Yes, it does, now are we done—"

"Lance, mine hurts, too. Why are we doing this? Hurting ourselves? It's stupid! And I can't stop thinking about it or you. And that makes me even more confused!" He rambled, and Lance wanted him to stop. He didn't want to do this. Not now.

"Why wouldn't you trust me?" His voice was raw, and Lance felt his jaw tremble. Lance couldn't deal with this right now. If Keith cracked, he would crack.

Lance looked at the water. He could leave easily. He could jump in and waterbend himself away from Keith and away from his problems.

"I trust you. I thought... I trust you with my life, Keith, and—" Lance began. He knew this is what Keith needed to hear. Lance was so afraid of the future, of what could happen. And Keith was afraid that Lance would abandon him in the present. That most certainly didn't sound like a good relationship at all. But Lance held responsibility in this. He was in charge of making sure Keith's needs were met, and that included giving him a reason.

"But not your heart?" Lance didn't say anything. He just sat down, feet skimming the bay water. He felt like a puppet with cut strings. There was nothing left in him to be able to move. He needed to sit or he'd fall over.

"I don't know, Keith." Keith sat next to him.

"When will you know?" Lance shrugged. "Lance, I like you a lot. You know that. You have to." Yeah, Lance knew. But he also knew that Keith could change his mind. He knew that Lance wasn't the best person to date. He knew so much that he never wanted Keith to know.

Lance nodded. "Do you like me, too?" Lance didn't say anything. He really did like Keith. But should he tell him?

"Please talk to me, Lance; I can't stand these mixed signals," Keith exclaimed. Lance took a deep breath.

"I'm scared, Keith. I like you. I like you so much. But I don't want this to be rushed. I don't want to look back and think that I messed up. I want this to work." Keith reached over, gripping his hand.

"I know you're scared. That's why I need you to trust me. I promised myself I would never hurt you again," Keith said. He went to touch Lance's arms, but Lance jerked back.

"I just... I need time." Keith looked at him for a moment. He nodded, and stood up.

"Lance, I don't want to rush you. I'm going to be here when you need me." He said it firmly, and Lance was moved to believe him. "However long that takes, I will be here."

He walked away back towards the pro-bending entrance.

Lance was finally alone with just his thoughts. And everything was screaming to go after Keith. To tell him how much he actually needed him. Lance had to make the decision. He didn't care what Keith said; Lance wasn't going to make him wait. It wasn't even that he didn't care; he cared too much. Lance wasn't going to hold him off for the slight chance that Lance was going to choose not to purse this. Keith deserved so much more. He deserved an answer.

Lance couldn't help it. He began to cry. At first, he hadn't even realized he was crying until his nose started stinging. The first drops rolled off his cheeks too quickly for Lance to brush them away. Once he realized he was crying, Lance started crying more. It was all pent up emotions, and the dam that was holding back everything was finally broken.

Lance was crying so hard he could barely breath. His shoulders shook with sobs, and he pulled his knees into his chest. He didn't want this. He didn't want to make it worse.

Lance had long since trusted Keith with his heart. It had been so long ago, he couldn't even remember what it felt like to not have Keith's constant grip on his heart. It kept him going. When he was tired, it was Keith who got him up. Keith had made Lance's life so much better.

Lance came to realize, after crying for an hour on the side of the pro-bending arena, that without Keith, his life would be missing it's center piece. Lance had worked so hard to make himself comfortable with Keith. He joined pro-bending because he wanted to learn from his mistakes. He quit Garrison because he wanted to do what was right, and that meant Keith would get his justice. He moved out and in with Keith. Why? Because all he wanted to do was surround himself with Keith.

Lance sniffed loudly. He moved his hand around lazily, and a weak stream of water came from the bay. Lance watched it form a perfect bubble and then he started to change that shapes by moving his fingers around. The water took on many shapes. A tornado. An airplane. A heart.

All he had to do was trust Keith. And Lance didn't realize until now, but the answer to all of Lance's questions was right in front of him. Lance just needed time.

  
Keith decided not to go back to practice after he left Lance. Hunk stayed behind to try out the boxing style, along with trying to couple the moves together with his old style. Keith was amazed at how invested Hunk was becoming in pro-bending.

Before he knew it, Hunk would be a great player. A great captain, too, if he were ever up for it. Keith didn't like being captain. He had started to like being in a team, but he was still very much independent, and being team captain wasn't doing much for his mood.

Keith thought about this on the way home. He liked independence, but he didn't mind working with other people.

He also thought about what Lance had said. Lance did like him. Lance was going to give him an answer. Keith didn't know if it were sooner or later, but his feelings would finally be put to rest. Keith didn't care if he was 90 years old; he was going to wait for that answer.

When he made it back to the apartment, Keith laid down on the couch and wrapped a thin blanket around him. He was so tired. He hadn't been able to sleep these past few days. He had done what the cop had advised and stayed caught up with the news, and the news helped distract him from his own problems.

The Galra hit Ba Sing Se fast, and already numerous benders were missing or worse. Notes were found, most completely different, demanding that immigrants leave the Earth Kingdom.

But after Ba Sing Se, it was happening everywhere. The Fire Nation was having problems with firebenders refusing waterbenders service or picking fights with earthbenders seemingly random in the street.

The only places that were avoiding these problems were the Water Tribes and Air Temples. This didn't really surprise Keith. More people left the Tribes than moved in, and the Air Nomads stayed true to their name by never staying in any cities too long. No one had too many problems with airbenders because simply put, there were hardly any.

The news wasn't getting any better despite the combined efforts of all the nations and the United Forces. The Galra were so big that no one knew where to strike first. And it remained that anyone anywhere could join the Galra. In some sick way they were uniting in the same way they were trying to expel.

Reports were that villages and small towns were already deciding where they lay in what was inevitably going to be a fight. The ones with large mixtures of nationalities fought for equality and diversity. Other towns wanted all immigrants to leave.

Shit was about to hit the fan, or in many places it already had. Everyone was taking sides and gearing up for a fight, and watching this was making Keith sick. His dad was an immigrant in the Earth Kingdom, and his mother in the Fire Nation. Keith had dual-citizenship, and there was no place he felt he belonged more than Republic City. Seeing what the Galra was doing hit Keith right at home. He wasn't quite Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom.

More than ever, Keith was feeling like an outsider. Sure he felt that way in Garrison, and he felt that way after Shiro disappeared last year in his own city, but now he felt like an outsider in his very life. Keith really hoped he and Lance would reconcile soon. Even if they were only friends, Keith needed Lance in his life.

Keith turned off the news and turned to face the back of the couch. It was warm in the crease of the sofa, and Keith enjoyed that whenever he didn't really have anyone else to hug him and make him feel warm. He didn't care he had to wait for Lance, but it was hard because all he wanted was to hug Lance and never let go.

Keith sighed. What a mess this was becoming. He wondered if this would effect pro-bending in any way. Probably. Pro-bending was a place where all different kinds of benders came together to enjoy each other's presence. It was where all benders and nonbenders came to cheer on benders that represented nations forgien to their own. The teamwork that was strived for in pro-bending came through hard work, and that example sounded like something the Galra would love to destroy.

Keith doubted that the Galra would succeed. Without an organized attack, the Galra would be outmatched by the amount of pro-benders. He was confident in his abilities to take the Galra.

Keith felt tired enough that when his eyes closed, he didn't feel like he ever wanted to open them again. His breathing became even, and he was on the verge of sleep when he heard the front door open. He glanced up from the couch, and Lance walked towards him swiftly. By the time Keith had sat up, Lance was in front of him, sitting on the floor.

"Keith, I have my answer." Keith was surprised. When Lance said he needed more time to think, Keith hadn't thought he meant an hour. "I like you. I like you so much. Too much. You're all I think about, and without you, I'd be in Garrison right now, looking to break more school records and stay the headmaster's lap dog. I could have died on Monday, and frankly it makes a guy think. And while it was hard to think for awhile, that's all it did for me. It made me think. I need you." Lance said this all hurriedly, like if he didn't say it then, he'd never find the strength to say it again.

"So, what your saying is—?" Keith asked. He was still confused. Lance said he liked him, and Keith had known that. But he hadn't given him a definite answer as to what this all meant. Lance nodded.

"Keith, I... I want to do this right. I want us to be happy; I want you to be happy," Lance said. Keith didn't know how to feel. He wanted to be happy, throw his arms around Lance, and laugh. But on the other hand, Keith realized Lance had more to say. "So, I think we should take our time with this. I don't want to rush into something and ruin it. Just... One day at a time."

Keith couldn't help but smile at him. How could he explain what he was feeling? The relief, the rush of adrenaline, and the need to grin until his head hurt.

"Lance, can I hug you? Please?" Lance didn't even need to be asked, and he hugged Keith tightly. Keith hugged him back, pulling him closer. He would go as slow as Lance wanted forever. Just the feeling of Lance so close was enough to satisfy him.

"Thank you," Lance said quietly, but Keith didn't need to be thanked. He didn't want to. He fell in love with the cocky bastard, and he was going to make sure that everything he did for Lance was to make Lance happy.

 

Lance and Keith were okay. Okay didn't seem like a good thing to call a relationship, but it was. Lance was still hesitant and slow to warm up to the idea of a relationship, but Keith was patient. He wouldn't push Lance.

Progress between them didn't speed up or slow down since Lance gave Keith his answer. Keith wasn't sure if they were even boyfriends. He hoped Lance would say something, give Keith the clear on what to call their relationship, but Lance didn't, and Keith wasn't sure if he wanted to ask. They hadn't mentioned it in front of their friends. It was understandable as it had only been a few days since Lance told Keith that he wanted to give...Whatever it was they had... a shot.

They were both constantly busy with their training. Now that championships were coming up, they were allowed less and less time in the gym. Not to mention they had one of the best time slots, which will probably be taken away if they didn't win this season. The team made the most of whatever time they were given, and now that Keith and Lance started to bounce back, their teamwork was starting to improve.

Hunk had been making the most progress. He was getting faster, and his moves were becoming more powerful. He was shedding his hesitant nature, and it was amazing to see that the Hunk from just two weeks ago was entirely different from the Hunk in front of him.

Hunk and Keith were especially becoming close, and Keith loved every moment he spent with him. Hunk was a great friend, and he offered a lot of good advice. Not to mention he had a great sense of humor, better than most people he knew (he loved Lance, but they could both do with a few more Hunk-originated jokes). Hunk was like a cool older cousin who liked to plant trees and play Mario Kart.

Keith could see why he and Lance were so close. It was impossible not to be comfortable around Hunk. He was just so... Hunk.

And Hunk was becoming a great pro-bender. The kind that went on to win championships and nationals. Keith was supportive of Lance, but they both knew Lance still had a soft side for Show-bending and it was what he truly excelled at.

But Lance was becoming a great pro-bender in his own way. The moves he had invented in all those shows he won to wow judges were entirely his, and because of that, they became secret weapons. Not to mention their combo move was almost entirely unheard of.

Lance was great at fighting with others, and that's what made him such a valuable team asset. That, and the fact that he was Lance.

"You know, I think that on the track we're going," Keith said, grunting as Lance threw the heavy ball at him, "we'll make it to finals."

"No team has ever seen what we got," Lance agreed. "We'll take them by storm." Keith threw the ball to Hunk. Hunk threw it back to Lance.

"Before you know it, we'll be famous!" Hunk said with a smile. "Well you guys, but not me, I don't want to be killed by the Garrison." Lance snorted and threw the ball.

"You? If my parents found out, they would disown me! Keith, you'll have to be the famous one," Lance said.

"I don't know how to tell you guys this, but I'm already famous." Lance pursed his lips.

"No, Yuen is famous. You're not, Mr. Dropout." Lance said. Yuen was pretty famous. Most pro-benders who had Keith's level of skill were. But technically, no one except Lance and their friends knew that Keith was a pro-bender.

"You're a drop out, too!" Keith argued.

"No, I resigned. I filled out papers," he said back.

"Sounds like a drop out to me..." Keith muttered.

"You wanna go?" Lance asked, not noticing the ball being thrown at him by Hunk. It hit him in the stomach. He fell backwards with a groan.

"Hunk. What the fuck?" He asked in a strained whispered.

"Sorry! I thought you— well it doesn't even matter. You should have been paying attention, not fighting." Hunk picked the ball up and pulled Lance up.

"I wasn't fighting; this is how I show love," Lance said weakly. Keith blushed and looked away. He would not let his stomach lurch because of that comment. Nope, he refused. "Right Keith?" Keith sighed into his hands.

"Remind me why I hang around you."

"Because you like him," Hunk said it like it was obvious. Now Lance was blushing, too, whipping his head around to look at him. Hunk noticed them gawking at him and rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you guys actually thought you were being slick. Lance, I've known you my entire life. I can tell when you—" Lance ran up to Hunk, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Hunk, please. No more words," he removed his hand slowly. "Anyway, we should back to training if we're going to kick ass in our next match. How many teams do we have to fight?" Lance asked, strolling back to his spot. Hunk threw the ball at him again, and the chain continued.

"One next Monday for the preliminaries. After that, it'll be our semi-final. If we win our that, we have one match left of the season, and that's against the winning team's final champions. If we win, we steal their title. If we lose the final, we come in second." Keith explained.

"That doesn't sound too hard," Lance said, catching the ball and throwing it. "We managed to take those other guys."

"Just barley. It was hard enough to move them one zone back. The next team is even more skilled. We'll find out who we fight this Monday, but only the strongest teams are left." Lance briefly wondered if that'd be Yukine. She and her team were fighting next Monday. If they lost, they would be the next people for Lance to go up against. Friend or not, Lance didn't plan on going easy on Yukine. But if she won, she'd continue to her final. No matter what, Lance would eventually have to fight her for the champion title.

He wondered if he should continue lessons with her. It had almost been a week since they met up, and he found her to be a very skilled teacher. But wasn't she technically his enemy? That never stopped them before, but who knows how long that'll last. Lance hoped they could continue being friends, even if he did beat her in the finals.

He should text her later. Maybe he could introduce her to Keith. Lance felt comfortable enough around Yukine that he wanted her to be included it their friend group. Tomorrow was Saturday, and they were all supposed to go out. Could he get Yukine to come along?

"Hey guys," Lance proposed. He caught the ball, and threw it back to Keith. "My friend Yukine is on the Paracat's team. I think we should invite her out with us tomorrow." Keith frowned, and missed the ball.

"Yukine?"

"Paracats?" Keith and Hunk asked at the same time.

"Wait back up, who is Yukine?" Keith asked hurriedly.

"She's a waterbender. She's from the Northern Water Tribe. You remember her, right Keith?" Keith looked like he was biting his tongue hard. Hunk just looked confused.

"Can't say that I do," oh he did. He remembered her very vividly. The pretty girl who was doing all that 'bending' training with Lance and sneaking her arms around him. He wasn't jealous, no... He just didn't trust her all too well. He knew she and her team had a reputation in the pro-bending industry for being bad teammates. Why someone as independent as Yukine volunteering to help someone as _dependent_ as Lance? Not a chance.

"Lance, I don't know," Hunk said hesitantly. Lance expected protesting from Keith, but he was shocked that Hunk would be against the idea as well. "Is it even a good idea to be hanging out with a rival team?" Lance couldn't believe it.

"I've known her for awhile now; she isn't like that." Lance defended.

"And how is she like?" Keith asked coldly, crossing his arms. Lance turned to glare at him. "Do you even know her that well? She's got a bad rep among pro-benders."

"Well so did you, and that didn't stop me before," Lance shot back. Keith uncrossed his arms, his face melting.

"That's different."

"You guys aren't even giving her a chance. C'mon, she really helped me out. She helped me turn my show-bending moves into kickass pro-bending secret attacks! We wouldn't have won that first round without her." Keith looked like he didn't like the idea, not at all. In fact, he was pretty sure there was only one thing in the entire world that could change his mind, and it was standing right in front of him.

"Just trust me?" Oh course Lance would break out the trust. Keith didn't trust people easily. Not at all. But when he did trust people, he tended to do whatever they told him blindly. Lance was playing Keith like a Tsungi Horn, and Keith couldn't help but sigh in defeat. Lance knew he had won the moment he asked for Keith to have faith.

"Alright," he said eventually. "I'm okay with her coming along if everyone else is." Lance smiled wide and almost rushed to hug Keith. Keith couldn't help but smile back, but only slightly. _Just slightly_. He still didn't like the idea of her coming with them. But he really did like Lance's hugs.

"Hunk?" Lance asked, moving away from Keith. Hunk thought for a moment, tapping his fingers on his lip. Lance and Keith knew his answer before even Hunk knew.

"Alright. Ask Shay and Pidge, though. We were going to have a picnic if you're up that. Shay wanted to show us her plant bending." Hunk said cautiously. Lance nodded eagerly.

"Guys this is going to be so fun! Can we grab milkshakes, too?" Hunk squinted at him in disbelief.

"I guess?" Hunk didn't know why he was asking that. He was 21; if Lance wanted a milkshake couldn't he just get one?

Lance didn't waste anytime. He unlocked his phone, opening up the friend group chat. It was titled "#SlutSquad".

**You guys up for an extra friend tomorrow?**

Pidge answered back quickly, giving him a short "sure". Shay was probably at work and wouldn't answer till later, Lance thought absently.

"Hurry up, Lance," Keith called. "We need to get in as much training as possible." Lance nodded. _Oh man,_ Lance thought, _this is going to be so much fun_.

 

  
Fun was not what Lance would use in their current situation. In fact, he seemed like the only one trying to have fun. He was close enough with his friends that no one had to actively try to have fun to make things not awkward. Everyone would have a good time eating sandwiches and complaining about bugs. But Lance tried to make it fun for Yukine. He wanted her to have good opinions of his friends, just like he wanted them to have good opinions of her.

Lance and Keith met up with her at an ice cream parlor. Lance was planning to show Yukine his milkshake bending and finally get some credit for his revolutionary breakthrough. He also had a secret need to share a milkshake with Keith. He had also promised Pidge, Hunk, and Shay milkshakes. So he was very compelled to get those milkshakes.

Lance and Keith got there early to order their ten milkshakes. Lance and Keith ended up disagreeing over every flavor. Keith liked vanilla; Lance liked chocolate. The two of them were at such an impasse that they decided just to order two different milkshakes (that didn't stop Lance from stealing sips of Keith's drink, much to Keith's annoyance).

Hunk and Shay texted that they wanted to split a banana milkshake and requested two cherries. Pidge decided to go the Lance route and pick chocolate. Pidge choose correctly as far as Lance was concerned.

Lance and Keith waited in a booth and talked while they waited. It was easy to talk about aimless things (it was also easy to distract Keith enough to steal milkshakes). Lance had always wondered what being in a relationship would be like. When he was a kid, he always thought he'd marry Princess Allura, but now he couldn't imagine any other face than Keith's.

Lance still hadn't kissed him yet. He didn't have the nerve, and he was still extremely worried about what could go wrong. He had never kissed anyone, and if Keith found out... Lance didn't want to think about what Keith might think about! But oh Avatar, it took everything not to kiss Keith and kiss him constantly.

Lance and Keith were talking about something, and they were doing the thing they had started doing since they were dating. Lance simply called it the Thing, and it was his favorite thing to do. The eye connections, the lip bitten smiles, and the topics they talking about meaning entirely different things were all apart of whatever it was they were doing. Lance didn't know if he'd call it flirting because it was never out-right (to normal people it was called flirting).

Lance heard the bells of the ice cream palor's door chime, and he looked up. Yukine was dressed in a blue water tribe dress reaching her ankles. Her dark hair was tied into a near bun, and she smiled radiantly, and she was skimming the shop with her eyes.

"Lance!" She called when she spotted him. She walked briskly over to him, and slowed a little when she saw Keith. Keith wasn't exactly throwing out the welcome wagon, and Lance nudged him in the arm as a reminder to be nice.

"Are you Yuen?" She asked.

Lance stood up to greet her. He smiled at her warmly, ushering her to sit down.

"Glad you could make it! You know Yuen. Well, his real name is Keith, but it's like... His pseudonym," he added in explanation. Keith tried for a smile, but he was never good at faking things. Yukine's smile looked as equally as forced.

"Uh, yeah, it's nice to see you again, Keith," she said. She looked extremely uncomfortable, and Keith didn't know if that was making him even more sour or that she looked uncomfortable because he looked bitter.

"Likewise."

"He's very grumpy sometimes," Keith resisted the urge to tell Lance off. Lance shouldn't have to explain Keith when Keith had a mouth and voice that worked. He could handle himself. "Anyways, do you want a milkshake or something?"

"I'm going to grab an ice cream, actually," she said. She looked between the two of them for a moment before she got up again to stand in line. When she was out of ear shot, Keith spoke.

"I don't like her." Lance sighed.

"Keith, you don't like anyone."

"That's not true; I like you and Hunk and Pidge and—" He was going to list off more people, but Lance gave him the look. A look that was as infuriating as it was cute. The 'please do it for me' look. They have not been dating for even a week; how did Lance manage to get Keith so tightly wound around his finger? Actually, Keith didn't want to think about that. Lance was always warning Keith about the dangers of Hunk's persuasiveness and then goes around himself making all these friends who would all but die for him.

Well, now that Keith thought about it, he could name an entire list of people who would die for Lance, and his own name was top of the list.

He was so... Enticing in that way. He could make anyone, Keith especially, do anything. But dying for Lance and putting up with Yukine were two different things. One required self-sacrifice and love. The other required a lot of fake smiling and resisting the urge to take Lance away from Yukine for as long as possible.

But he was such a sucker for Lance's blue eyes, oh Raava.

"Fine, I'll be nicer," Keith gave in.

"Can you believe they don't have cotton candy ice cream on Saturdays?" Yukine asked as she came back over to the booth, sliding into the seat opposite of Keith and Lance.

"Yeah, but they serve the best cookie dough here," Keith offered. Yukine looked at him in surprise, but she didn't comment any further. Well, there went Keith's plan of being nice. Time to go back to being bitter.

"So, how do you guys feel about this pro-bending season?" Yukine asked. Lance looked at Keith to answer, hoping that Keith would speak, but Keith just shrugged at him.

"Well, we're improving by the day. I think if we work on our teamwork, we'll be unstoppable," Lance told her.

"It's interesting to see you guys have such a... Dynamic. I'm not as close with my team as you two are," Keith resisted the urge to say anything rude. He could see she wasn't happy that Keith was there. Keith knew this because he felt the exact same way. There was an obvious and mutual dislike between the two.

"Well, it's easy because it's so natural. Hunk and I have been best friends ever since I moved to Republic City, and Keith and I are practically inseparable." Lance threw an arm around Keith as an example, and despite not wanting to, Keith smiled. He was conflicted as to whether he should shrug off Lance's arm for putting him in this situation or smugly hug him because Yukine wasn't allowed to.

Lance's phone buzzed in the table. Lance picked it up to read what his notification said. He hoped it was Hunk telling him to come over. He didn't know if he could make small talk with Yukine _and_ Keith for another ten minuets.

He honestly did try to get the two to get along, but the intense staring that Keith was giving Yukine and Yukine was giving Lance drained a lot of the humor he was attempting out of the air.

Much to his relief, it was Hunk texting him

**What a Hunk❤️: Hey the picnic is set up but u get no entry w/o milkshakes**

Lance looked up, not surprised to see Yukine continuing to smile at him, and Keith absently drinking his milkshake and looking to the wall.

"Alright! We should head over before the milkshakes start melting," Lance said. He didn't know if he could manage the walk all the way to the park. He resisted the urge to sigh, already regretting this whole plan.

He looked up and begged all the cosmic forces to just have a nice and simple picnic. Just one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for some reason I'm following a boy named Lance on insta (don't remember doing that :/) and his user is like Lancelot and a bunch of numbers so guys like Voltron Lance would probs be the same. This guy is a freshman, and he makes really nice videos of him singing and playing guitar. It's scary I was told about him while I was writing this (he looks like Lance??) so I think Lance goes to my school now.
> 
> Also his older brother is really cute (he also looks like Lance oh my gosh)... this is like a story where the character leaves the story except this Lance is very different... 
> 
> Alright I'm gonna sleep now


	10. Chapter 10

Yukine meeting the others went a lot better than meeting her meeting with Keith and that was only because the bar was already set so low. Yukine looked very out of place among them despite Lance's efforts. The only time Yukine was comfortable was when she had Lance's undivided attention, much to Keith's annoyance.

Pidge met her, and shook her hand. Their hands were covered in mayo and ham juice from the sandwich they were eating, and Yukine looked a little less than eager to touch Pidge's hands.

Yukine warmed up well enough to Shay and Hunk, though. She asked them both questions about where they were from and if they bended. Hunk was the first to answer.

"I'm an Earthbender. I was born here, but my family is from the eastern parts of the Earth Kingdom. Right on the coast, which is really cool because it means lots of waterbenders live there," Hunk offered in conversation. "Half waterbenders at the very least!" Yukine nodded.

"I see; I've never heard of such diversity in small towns. Surely things are getting complicated between the two people?" Hunk looked a little confused by this.

"No, not really. I mean, everyone is a little on edge with the Galra, but if it came to it, I'm sure the majority of the costal earth towns would fight for immigration rights." Yukine shrugged at this.

"Tensions are rising in the Northern Water Tribe, though. Not many people are sure where they'll fall if this escalates any further," she said. This pipped Lance's interests.

"What do you mean? All the people I know in the watertribe are siding against the Galra," he said from the other side of the picnic blanket. He was sitting with Keith, and they were both eating grapes and drinking their milkshakes, their hands almost intertwining but not quite there.

"You come from a more wealthy and political background. Fact remains that waterbenders are heavily targeted by both firebenders and earthbender. Those types of people don't live in tribes, and the lower class watertribe citizens are feeling attacked." Lance pursed his lips. He hadn't heard that, but in a way he wasn't surprised. Why leave the tribe when the rest of the world doesn't want you to live with them? "There are rumors of a recall."

"You don't think the King Alfor would actually call back citizens, do you? Not many people would come back." Yukine shrugged. The others were confused as to what they were talking about. Recall? Like what they did with defected kid's toys? None of them had even known the King had that type of power.

"If the consequences are severe enough, than yes."

"Well, I'm not sure about the Water Tribes," Shay spoke up, "but I do know that Earth Kingdom waterbenders aren't having too many difficulties. What about the Swamp and Marsh benders? They're waterbenders and live in the Earth Kingdom."

"Swamp benders?" Yukine asked with a frown. Shay nodded.

"My family comes from the Swamp. Surly we're prime examples of living in harmony with other benders. We've managed to live in the Earth Kingdom for as long as the Earthbenders."

"Wait you're a swamp bender?" Yukine asked suddenly, the conversation picking up a lighter tone. "I have never met any before! So, you can do the thing, right? Plant bend?" Shay shrugged.

"It's difficult to do in places like Republic City; but yes, I've been learning to plant bend. It's actually why we organized the picnic in the first place."

"I've always wanted to see plant bending," Yukine said eagerly.

"I would like to see the plant bending also!" Lance said, getting up to sit closer to Shay and Hunk. "And if you're up for it, could you show me a few tips?" Shay smiled and nodded. She got up and walked over to a bush growing near the tree Pidge was leaned agaisnt. Plucking off a branch, she came back and sat down.

"Watch and learn, my young pupils." With one hand, Shay held the branch, and in the other she moved her hands in a normal waterbending fashion. The plant started moving. At first it looked like it was moving in a slight breeze, but Shay was gaining more control, and the branches started to move and twitch like curling fingers. It was a little unnerving how creepy it was.

"I'm still kind of new," Shay said, sweating beading her forehead. "But practice makes perfect! Branches are a little more advanced, so if you want to try it, Lance, you should try on some tall grass."

Lance sat back in amazement. "Wow, that was so awesome." Yukine looked equally pleased.

"That's such a cool talent! If you perfect that, you could be considered one of the greatest waterbenders ever!" Shay blushed.

"Oh, I don't know about that..."

"She's right! It's a super rare ability, and if you perfect it, you'll be one in a thousand." Lance assured her. Then, as if getting a great idea, Lance crawled over and stole the milkshake Keith was absently drinking.

"Hey!" Keith called out, cheeks filled with the drink, but Lance assured him he'd bring it back. Grumbling, Keith sat back and watched with a wrinkled nose.

"Check this out, Yukine!" Lance exclaimed. He opened the lid of the milkshake and bended a small amount of the vanilla drink onto his hand. Twisting his finger, Lance managed to recreate his tiny Milkman.

"Tada!" Lance cheered, making it dance. "How amazing is that?" He didn't expect Yukine to be as amazed as she was. She gasped and crouched down to gaze at the Milkman closely and laughed.

"Lance, how did you do that? Can you bend milk?" Lance shrugged. He honestly had no idea how he did it, but he was glad she was excited. He tried his best to explain it anyways.

"It's more ice bending than waterbending. I can bend the tiny ice pieces into whatever I want."

"Lance, you just created the milkshake form of metalbending, are you kidding?" Yukine asked. Keith, Pidge, and Hunk looked at them is disbelief and confusion.

"Wait, how is that any way like metal bending?" Pidge asked, looking up from their laptop. "It's a milkshake."

"Well, metalbending is only possible for people who can sense the pieces of earth inside of metal. Just like how not all earthbenders can see the earth, not all waterbenders would be able to see for the ice." Lance suddenly felt a lot more accomplished with himself. "While this wouldn't exactly be revolutionary, if you can do that with milk, who knows what you could do with any frozen liquid."

Lance hoped Keith was hearing this. He grinned smugly, and Keith resumed wrinkling his nose. "Admit it, Keith, that's pretty impressive."

"Maybe, but it's still a milkshake." Lance shrugged. He stood to sit back down next to Keith, handing him his milkshake cup. Keith smiled at him, taking it. The jerk was using his proximity to bribe Keith, and hell if it wasn't an effective plan. "Okay, it's pretty impressive."

"I knew it; I tried to tell you all, and only Shay believed in me. Now look at me; I'm on my way to becoming a master." Pidge snorted.

"Okay, Master Milkshake. Can't wait to see you milkshake your way to the championship," the group laughed, and Lance was glad that for one moment they were all comfortable. He laid back, staring at the clouds.

"But if I do become a master, I want to be known as the Mincer. You know, cause of how sharp my water and ice attacks are." Keith laid down, too, keeping inches inbetween themselves.

"Isn't a mincer a person who cuts food for a living?" Hunk asked, wrapping his arm around Shay so she could lean into him.

"Actually, I think it's just the machines you see in those informercials. We have a herb mincer in the shop," Shay answered.

"Who is going to call you the Mincer and be serious?" Keith asked.

"All my fans! They're going to see me on the stage and see how sharp my eyes and mind are; and then they'll see how awesome my water attacks are. Razor sharp, just like a mincing knife," Lance went on to say. Keith thought for a minuet.

"That would work except you don't have fans, and that doesn't change what a mincer is." Lance rolled his eyes.

"Of course I have fans. I've got you guys!"

"I am not calling you 'The Mincer', Lance," Keith told him. Pidge closed their laptop and scooted down to be closer.

"I'll do it! The Mincer, would you like a sandwich? Made them myself," Pidge said, going to grab a sandwich for Lance.

"Why yes, thank you— uh. Pidge?" Lance would work on Pidge's nickname later, but for now he accepted the sandwich and sat up to eat it. "I think you guys should have nicknames, too. Something cool and different. Like Hunk can be 'The Crusher'."

"I appreciate the thought, but I'm going to stay with Hunk. Or Lee. Lee is a common name, right? No one will second guess a pro-bender named Lee." Well yeah, everyone knew that. But it wasn't... Creative for lack of a better word.

"Why do you even need a nickname?" Yukine asked. "Why not go by Lance?" Lance pulled himself up onto his elbows to be level with her.

"If mom and dad found out, do you know what they'd do to me? They'd ground me, and I don't even live with them. They'll probably track down the Avatar and tell it to take away my bending as punishment. If I get caught..." Lance made an unpleasant face like he didn't even want to think about it.

"Then just choose a random name," Keith said. "It wasn't a problem last match." Lance pursed his lips. In a way, they were right. But he still shivered at the thought of having his parents treat him like a 15 year old again.

He stood up eventually, stretching. "Right, well, I'm going to try and plant bend. If you guys want to watch my amazingness, feel free to follow," Lance said smugly. Shay decided to go with him, and Yukine followed them, too. When they were out of earshot, Keith rolled closer to Pidge and Hunk.

"What do you guys think of Yukine?" He asked in a whisper. He quickly darted his eyes to see if they had over-heard them, but the three of them were all turned to face a bush of wild Cat Tails. Shay was showing them to bend the green blades of grass, moving her arms in an almost wild fashion.

Hunk didn't give the question much thought. He was eating baked beans in a paper bowl, gazing out at Shay in lovingly. "She's nice. If she gets along with Shay, then I'm cool with her."

"Shay gets along with everybody," Keith protested. Hunk looked like he was going to argue in defense of his girlfriend, but why would he do that? She was kind and that was one of the best parts about her.

"She certainly doesn't like to hang around us," Pidge said. They were watching a marching line of ants trying to storm the blanket. "She only sounded comfortable around those two." Pidge gestured to where Lance and the girls were standing. Lance's face was strained as he tried to bend the Cat Tails. They hadn't even moved in the breeze since Lance started trying.

"I'm suspicious," Keith declared, sitting up and hugging his knee close to his chest. He took a sip of his milkshake, but it was already empty. He took Lance's instead, noting that it was almost empty anyways.

"Maybe you're just jealous? I mean, it's understandable. She's pretty, strong, a waterbender, from the Northern Water tribe, and she's super nice." Hunk said. Keith gave him a blank stare.

"Thanks, Hunk, that makes me feel a lot better." Hunk smiled ruefully.

"Sorry," he went on. "I just mean to say it's okay to be jealous, but Lance is trying. Really hard. Too hard, actually. It's almost giving me second hand emarassment. So, I'm willing to give her a chance." Keith knew Hunk had a point. But what Hunk had originally said made Keith even more uneasy. Was he jealous of Yukine? Is that why he was so uneasy around her? Lance had asked his trust for this, and Keith decided he was going to try even harder to gain Yukine's approval.

"What about you, Pidge? Yes or no?" Pidge looked up at Yukine. They thought for a moment.

After much consideration, Pidge finally said, "I don't trust her that much, either. But I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt; she seems nice."

Over by Shay, Lance was having no progress on plant bending. His face was strained. His usually fluid and slow movements were now erratic and quick. He looked increasingly desperate to move the plants, but he was having no luck. Yukine looked like she was struggling, but she was able to do some plant bending as far as Keith could see from where he was sitting.

Maybe he should give her the benefit of the doubt, too, but he decided to keep being cautious for the time being.

 

Lance was not satisfied with just the picnic. He wanted to spend more time with Keith. When he and Keith got home, Lance was in the kitchen, blasting music, and microwaving popcorn. He managed to get Keith sucked into his idea of a movie night, and Keith didn't know how to tell him that he didn't like movies or popcorn.

"This movie is about bending! Ben Affleck is the Avatar, and he's here to save the world from a spirit apocalypse. The bending he does looks super cheesy, but I heard it was a good movie," Lance said, shaking the popcorn into a bowl and sprinkling it with salt. He popped a piece in his mouth quickly. "Besides, we deserve the break." He grabbed two juice boxes from the fridge and tossed one to Keith.

"Lance, why not watch something else? Like no offense, but 'spirit apocalypse' sounds horrible," Keith liked the idea of spending a few hours alone with Lance, but at the same time, Ben Affleck? He didn't know much about the man other than the trickled down rumors of his unsuccessful movies.

Lance shrugged, jumping on the couch. Keith sat down next to him. There was something still hesitant between the two. Keith didn't know how to sit with Lance (was they a right or wrong way?). Was it too early to sit down close enough that if Keith wanted to, he could lay his head on Lance's shoulder and fall asleep? Lance said he wanted to take things slow, and that left Keith with a bunch of questions he didn't know how to ask.

So Keith sat on one end of the couch, curled against the arm rest. It was a double seat, so he was close enough to Lance that he could feel whenever the boy so much as moved an arm. It was comforting to Keith to know that Lance was so close, but it was also nerve racking. He really wanted to sit against Lance. He had never considered himself a cuddle person, but to hell if he wasn't feeling like making Lance his personal chilled pillow.

Lance was one of those people who sat on couches like a complete weirdo. It was hard to sit on a couch in a way it wasn'g designed for. You could lay on it, you could drape yourself on the backrest, and you could even sit onto of the arm rest. But no, Lance took sitting from 0 to 100. He was constantly moving was one thing, and he was never really sitting.

The movie hadn't even finished it's commercials before Lance had changed from sitting normally to hanging on the arm rest, his cheek smushed agaisnt the cousin and his legs stretched towards the balcony door. Then he was upside down with his arms touching the floor above his head to feed himself popcorn. Next, he was laying on the floor with his feet resting on the cushions and tucked away underneath the back rest.

If Keith was in anyway interested in the movie, he'd find it annoying, but he couldn't have cared less. In fact, he found that watching Lance trying to get comfortable was more entertaining than the actual movie.

Lance wasn't kidding when he said the effects were bad. The movie plot was especially crummy. Ben Afflect plays Avatar Gao who is charged with purifying tainted spirits who ravage the human world and possess those they kill. Basically, it was Gao burning people to ashes and impaling them with ice swords. Some rock crushing was also applied, but the majority of the movie was spent only bending two elements. And there wasn't anything very Avatar about the movie. It was filled with blood, dramatic screaming matches, and close ups of Ben breathing heavily while thinking. There was no peace, mercy, or unity, just a bunch of bad fighting.

Keith found the movie to be so bad it was captivating. The effects were horrible. Afflect wasn't a bender, and why they casted him to play a person who bended and mastered four elements was a mystery to Keith. If he was playing a Fire Nation Avatar, wouldn't a firebender make sense? Besides, any bender could have easily told the producers that you can't burn people to ashes just by making intense eye contact.

Lance didn't seem to mind. He liked the choreographed fights most. He didn't stop talking the entire movie, and eventually he found himself back on the couch (sitting like an actual normal person). He tried to explain to Keith that show-bending and the bending the extras were doing were extremely similar and inspired many of his own shows.

Keith had actually only seen one of Lance's shows before. He felt slightly guilty that Lance had become so heavily involved in Keith's interests but Keith had never bothered to see one of his shows. Had he known that he'd be dating Lance, he'd probably have gone to more. Lance was amazingly good at it, and whenever Keith thought about what Lance had given up when he left Garrison filled Keith with guilt.

But the one show Keith did see was—simply put—mind blowing. Keith was only 11 years old, and it was his first show bending competition ever. He had seen Lance's performance on the tv screen in the green room, and everyone could easily tell who would go home with the gold. That was the last show competition Keith had ever went to, much less participate in.

The details of the show were lost on him, but Keith remembered how the only star brighter than the ones created in Lance's bending was Lance himself. He distinctly remembered thinking Lance was the moon spirit in the body of some kid. When Keith told his instructor as much, he got brushed off. It was the last time he saw his instructor or a show bending competition.

Keith hadn't know Lance back then, but he did remember him faintly when Lance first came to Garrison. There was some hushed talk about the show-bending prodigy coming to Garrison, and Keith found himself slightly jealous and peeved. In a way, Keith was just as arrogant about show-bending as Lance was about pro-bending. Keith was never good at show-bending, and he had to drop the class after he nearly got an F. That made him harbor some negative feelings about show-bending. It wasn't effective in fighting, it wasn't very traditional, and it was filled with rich snobby kids and their over-zealous parents.

And Keith had to admit, he was extremely jelaous of this moon spirit guy. He was amazing, Keith could see that, and when Lance first sat down next to him, Keith elected to ignore him. Keith didn't know his name, just that he smelled like how Keith expected a showbender to smell and had a really loud voice. Like obnoxiously loud voice. 

Sitting next to Lance right then and there made Keith regret ever thinking that show-bending was pretentious and stuck up. Lance was living proof that show-bending was something fun and amazing. Not just how it looked when Lance bended, but because of the projection show-bending allowed him. He was probably the purest form of show-bending that Keith could ever find, and he was glad that Lance was such a successful show-bender.

The movie eventually escalated into an intense scene where Gao fought against a group of looters wishing to take the special provisions Gao and his girlfriend (Wife? Lover?) brought along with their survival group. In a very un-Avatar fashion, Gao ended up leaving the badly injured— or worse— looters to the tainted spirits, who proceeded to kill them off screen and possess their bodies. This is when Keith started really getting bored. He tried to take out his phone and play a game, but whenever he did, Lance would stare at him blankly until he put it away. It was a little weird, and Keith didn't know how to stare back effectively enough for his phone rights, so he just put it away.

Keith couldn't help but fall asleep. Lance was getting so into the movie that he didn't even get up to refill the popcorn bowl. Keith closed his eyes slowly. When Lance pressed him, he promised he was listening, eventually resorting to just grunting, but eventually everything became fuzzy, and Keith was sleeping soundly. 

Lance gave him the 'are you kidding me, Keith?' look, but Keith couldn't see it. Lance just rolled his eyes. When Keith was asleep, he was extremely quiet and his face was always unusually still. But Keith was also a restless sleeper, and tossed and turned whenever Ben Afflect yelled or exploded a United Forces' tank. So Keith ended up moving a lot. Eventually, Keith's head slide from Lance's shoulder to his lap.

Lance almost screamed when it happened because something warm and drooling just fell on his legs, and the shock was almost too much for him. Keith was facing the screen, but his eyes were still closed. He curled his legs up, and Lance had to scream because it was fucking adorable and fucking horrible at the same time.

To Lance, this was _fast_. He forgot the movie entirely as he pondered whether he should move Keith off of him or not, blushing hotter than Keith's fire. It was sudden and made Lance's heart speed faster than a poodle-pony, but it wasn't bad. In fact, it was rather nice. Keith had a very neutral and peaceful face when he slept. Normally, Keith's face ranged from 'pissed off and tired' to 'I adore everything about you'. It usually stayed on the former, but now it was blank and almost delicate looking, and Lance was fascinated by it in the same way one would exaime fine china.

Lance would never admit it to his (pretty) face, but Keith was very beautiful. Lance never thought he'd ever apply pretty or beautiful to Keith because Lance always associated him with hot and hansome, and it was like comparing lighting to ice. Two different things. But Keith had a soft face. He didn't have high cheek bones or a sharp jaw, and when his eyes were closed they quivered like flutter-bat. Just like his face was soft, Lance found softer words to describe him and he suddenly found this idea to be very enthralling. One side of Keith was at peace and relaxed while the other was tempermental and exciting. His personality played so well into his looks, and Lance found that to be a great fact about him. While Lance wore his feelings on his sleeve, Keith likes to wear them on his face where everyone could see.

Lance was blushing even more, biting his lip. What would he do if Keith woke up? He liked the feeling now, but would it be something they'd bring up later? Should Lance even care?

Lance was a go big or go home kind of guy. He didn't try things. He went for it or he didn't. And Lance had tried extremely hard to find a medium for his and Keith's relationship. He didn't want to rush anything. He wanted to take his time and spend every moment in the present with Keith.

But Lance was Lance, and if push came to shove, he'd go big before even thinking of going home. In a way, that was how his entire relationship with Keith up until that point had been. Lance had adopted Keith's impulsive nature, and it had worked out well for him so far. If he hadn't changed, Lance would probably be laying in his old bed, forgetting about Keith and pro-bending, but forever brooding over his lost fight.

So maybe it wouldn't kill him to just accept this for what it was and deal with it later. Yeah, Lance thought that was a good idea. He smiled down at Keith. He had completely forgotten the movie and the fact the he was annoyed that Keith had fallen asleep. Lance had purposed the movie as a way to spend time with Keith, and it was working, even if one of them wasn't even awake for it.

Lance went back to the movie and stopped moving around. He hadn't even noticed it, but he began to brush his fingers through Keith's hair absently. Whenever there was a loud noise, Lance would cover Keith's ear so he wouldn't be awoken, and with one hand he combed Keith's hair and tucked strands behind his ear and in the other he ate more popcorn. Lance was disappointed Keith had fallen asleep, but in all honesty he wouldn't have changed it for the world.

He realized that this is what he wanted. Lance wanted to be in a relationship with Keith. He had always wanted that. Right now was the time for him to act like Keith's boyfriend, not just his buddy who lived with him and sometimes held hands. Well technically, a boyfriend did that, too, but this was different. Lance was ready to shout it to the world. There was no stopping his relationship. They'd be unstoppable. He was ready to embrace everything that they shared and will share.

Keith was distantly aware of Lance's hand brushing through his hair. It was a nice feeling. It reminded him of when his mom did that for him when he was a youn kid. Lance's hands were cool and soft, and the brushing was irregular, like sometimes Lance wasn't aware he had stopped or started.

Keith liked it. It was probably the most comforting thing in the world. Keith was too out of it to really question why Lance was being so affectionate with him, but he was consious enough to know that it was something he really enjoy. He Was so relaxed he fell back asleep despite not wanting to miss out on this feeling.

Ben Afflect was in the middle of the North Pole on his way to the spirit portal. That's when the Artic Wolves came out, surrounding him. They looked like normal wolves: white fur on their under-sides and muzzles; fluffy tails; black faces, ears, and backs. But they were different in the sense that they looked badly CGI-ed into the scene and their eyes were glowing a strange red that made them look like a 'hell hounds are real' conspiracy post.

Lance briefly wondered what it'd be like to have an arctic wolf. Maybe he should see about domesticating one if he ever came across a pup. Having pet arctic wolves wasn't unheard of; it used to be extremely popular. But then again, how would a wolf live in Keith and his apartment? And Keith probably wouldn't like it. He was very intent on having Lance's main attention. Not to mentioned the wolf and Keith shared color-schemes. Keith would probably get jealous quickly.

Lance decided that if he ever did get a pet wolf, he'd name it Keith Jr. They would both be loners, fiercely loyal, and cute. Practically the same thing. They probably have the same dopy grins and low growls, too.

Lance looked down at Keith and smiled. For such a small action, Keith laying his head on Lance's lap felt overwhelmingly amazing. Lance should have done this long ago. Nothing quite like watching a movie with some popcorn and a sleeping Keith. The only problem was that Lance was out of popcorn and had to pee. Like really badly.

Lance had to think for a moment. It was always crucial in situations such at these to really think. Weigh the pros and cons. A lot had to be considered before Lance made a choice.

Bladder? Or Keith? Bladder... Keith...?

He could probably sneak into the bathroom quickly before Keith woke up. But then again, this was the first time during the entire movie that Lance was actually comfortable. Could he wait the next forty minuets and take his bathroom break after the movie? But Lance knew that if he didn't want to move now, he may not get up after the movie either.

Lance couldn't even reach the remote. He was in a pickle...

Getting up as slowly as possible, Lance slide Keith's head off his lap and onto the couch. He stood up and stretched, making his bladder clench instantly. Oh no, this was emergency level. Lance knew he made the right choice immediately. He hurried to the bathroom as fast as possible.

The relief was almost too much. When Lance was finished, he washed his hands. He then took a minuet to look at himself in the mirror. He should get eyebrows done again soon. And maybe a hair cut, he didn't want his ha—

Lance frozen when he heard rustling in the kitchen. Lance regretted getting up, almost swearing loudly to himself because now Keith was up. Damn his tiny bladder and delicious juice box! With Keith now fully awake, Lance's hopes of returning to that oh so comfortable spot were squashed.

Lance pushed himself off the sink counter, drying his hand on the towel hanging on the shower rod. It was still damp from this morning (Keith had a nasty habit of leaving wet towels on the floor), but Lance didn't mind.

He switched off the light and opened the door slowly. He could see Keith in the kitchen making himself a snack. Lance wondered if he'd be able to sneak up on Keith and scare him. Not his brightest idea, but hey, Lance dropped out of school to be a pro-bender not some kind of mathematical scientist or whatever.

Besides, Keith was leaving his back wide open, he was practically inviting Lance to come and scare him. Or even better: hug him from behind. Couples loved that shit right? Lance knew right then and there that he loved that shit as well, and he was going to go for it.

When Lance had decided that he was going to go big or go home on the couch, he decided to apply that to all other situations as well. It couldn't hurt to just hug him. Well it could hurt Lance a lot if Keith thought he was an intruder or something, but Lance was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen. Pretty sure...

Tip-toeing carefully, Lance crept through the hall. He was careful not to step on the creaky floorboards he discovered at 4am when sneaking out for drinks. He was also careful not to step too heavily or his feet would stick to the ground and make noise. He had mastered becoming a ninja in the night. It was almost too easy sneaking up on Keith, who hummed unsuspectingly.

Lance slide with his back against the counter into the kitchen. He readied himself to spring. He was close. Just another couples inches, and Keith would be his.

"You do realize I can hear you breath?" Keith asked. But it was too late, Lance had already lunged for the hug. He wrapped his arms around Keith's waist, burying in face in the crook of his neck. Despite knowing Lance was behind him, Keith was shocked. He was stiff underneath Lance's body, but the tension melted as soon as he knew what was happening.

"You heard me?" Lance asked, muffled. He peeked up and Keith from his shoulder. Keith looked like a blushing mess. His hands moved slowly and unsurely, like he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing. Lance had to admit he never thought the cool and usually-collected Keith would be the kind of person who was easily flustered. In a way, Lance was glad because he was also that type of person, and he didn't like the thought of being the one left in the dust.

Lance kind of thought that the fact they were both easily flustered and romantically awkward would make or break their relationship, but in the context right now, Lance also thought that nothing could break their relationship. No, he didn't just think that; he knew it for a fact.

"W-well, yeah," Keith said, turning back to the cereal he had poured into a bowl. "Why are you breathing so heavily? You sounded creepy." Lance was a little embarrassed that he was still breathing heavily. He remembered when he first moved into the apartment, and everything smelt like Keith. He never thought he'd miss that. But when he was so close to Keith, he realized that he really did miss the smell of Keith surrounding him every day. Now all he could do was rest his chin on Keith's shoulder and try extremely hard not to breath heavily even if his heart was speeding up and he felt like hyperventilating.

"I really like hugging you," Lance said simply as if that explained everything, wrapping his arms further around Keith's stomach In a way, it did explain everything. It was the truth. Lance tightened his hold even more, tugging to get Keith closer, and he was hit with a wave of emotions that happiness and love weren't adequate enough to describe.

"I like hugging you, too, Lance," Keith said softly. He looked longingly at his cereal, but he decided to instead turn around in Lance's arms so he could hug him back. There was something about standing in the middle of their kitchen holding each other that made Keith feel like he had just won the pro-bending championships. Like he had a family reunion and everyone showed up. It was almost even better than when he first realized he was in love with Lance. It was perfect and beautiful, and Keith was so content to stand there forever.

"Keith?"

"Yeah?" Keith didn't realize it, but he had closed his eyes, and he was too engulfed in whatever they were doing to open them again.

"Can I kiss you?" Keith stopped breathing all of the sudden. Kiss Lance? Like on the lips or the cheek? Was he asking just for reference or was he to kiss him right here. Wasn't he just in the bathroom? _Did he wash his hands?_

Keith pulled back to look at Lance. It was so strange to feel like Lance was taller than him. He was only taller by half an inch, and usually Keith felt like the taller of the two because he always assumed the authority role in their training. He was Lance's captain, but they weren't training. They were about to kiss.

Keith looked into Lance's eyes. They looked like jewels. They were shiny and clear, and Keith knew they were worth more than he could ever afford.

Keith nodded.

Lance leaned down, and Keith tried extremely hard not to remember the last time they had almost kissed. That night was the best and worst night of Keith's life. The celebration and the joy made the night amazing. But then he messed things up with Lance, and all he can really remember that night was being angry.

But that wasn't now. That was only a few days ago. The days between then and now had stretched into an eternity. The biggest difference was that Keith had a feeling that their kiss was right; that this was their moment. There was no hesitance. There was nothing telling Keith that Lance didn't actually like him. He put the shame he once felt for what he had done to Lance away in his mind. He wanted this, and more importantly: Lance wanted this.

Keith expected Lance to be a bad kisser. It was a moment of setting yourself up to never be disappointed. He saw through all Lance's lies about how smooth he was with the ladies. Keith knew this was the first time Lance had ever kissed anyone.

Keith remembered his first kiss vividly. It was a girl. Her name was Hanna. Keith didn't know he wasn't interested in girls back then. Or maybe he did; it was so long ago that the details were lost on him. But he could recall every second of the kiss.

Hanna was a stranger to Keith, just a girl he met in the fire nation when visiting his cousins. His oldest cousin had the idea of throwing a party, and Keith was coaxed out of his room long enough to meet Hanna.

It was sloppy and gross. The excess amount of spit in Keith's mouth had made him gag. Hanna hadn't like it much, either. A smile peck on the lips would have told Keith he didn't want to kiss her again, but they both tried to make it an intimate kiss.

But Keith got better at kissing. After Hanna, Keith knew he didn't like girls. So he only kissed boys. And every single kiss was leading Keith up to this moment, the day he would kiss Lance.

So considering how Keith's first kiss went and all the first kisses he took, he expected Lance to be over eager and zealous. But much like the way Lance bended, Lance kissed slowly and softly. Everything was done with thought, strangely enough. When Lance said he wanted to take things slow, Keith didn't realize he meant his kisses, too. His lips moved in small exaggerated fashions that Keith had never felt before, and he was starting to feel himself slip under the emotional sea that he trying to swim in.

Simply put, it was the best first kiss Keith ever had. It was a very Lance-kiss, and that's what made it so amazing.

Lance continued to move slowly even as he pulled away. It was almost torture because Keith wanted to kiss him more, and he couldn't if Lance was moving like a sealion-turtle. But it was also such a nice tempo. Keith just wanted to enjoy it, but Lance was already pulling away.

"Wow," Lance said, breathless. Keith felt the need to scoff. Lance was the one breathless? He might as well have sucked out Keith's lungs because Keith had never found it more difficult to breath.

Keith didn't know what to say, so instead he tightened his grip on Lance's jacket and tried to continue looking him the eyes. It was difficult; it was more difficult than before they had kissed, and Keith wasn't sure why. Maybe he was afraid that Lance would realize how amazing he was simply by how flabbergasted Keith was.

"Can I kiss you again?" Keith liked this. He liked it a lot. He liked that Lance asked before kissing him. He liked kissing Lance. He liked taking it slow. And most of all, he liked Lance.

Their kisses were never more steamy than five seconds of them not knowing what to do with their hands or themselves. Keith had never felt more awkward in his body than when he tried to maneuver his arms around Lance's waist.

"I paused the movie," Keith told him, breaking apart for a few seconds. A part of him wanted to kiss Lance forever, but he understood that too much in the heat of the moment wasn't the best idea. Two kisses was well enough for Keith.

"Right, the movie," Lance said, loosening his arms that had enveloped Keith's body and stepped back. He moved to lean on the kitchen sink. After a few moments of him staring at the ground and smiling, he got up and opened the fridge. He grabbed another juice box from the fridge. "But you weren't even watching." Keith shrugged.

He grabbed the forgotten milk and poured it into his cereal before fishing for a spoon. "No, but I did have more interesting things to watch." He was talking about Lance, but Keith didn't really think Lance got what he was trying to say. Maybe he hadn't said it flirty enough. Should he try again or—?

If Lance knew, he didn't let on. He just drank his juice silently. Keith felt a little proud to make Lance so speechless, an act he once thought was impossible. Lance looked like he was trying extremely hard to not burst out grinning. Keith had already lost that fight and wore his smile like a fool. The only way he could cover it was by spooning the cereal in his mouth and hoping not to choke.

"We could dance instead," Lance said out of nowhere, throwing away his juice box. "Show me your show-bending moved. You can't hide them, Keith, I've seen them before." Keith wondered briefly if Lance was talking about his show from when they were 11. He hoped he wasn't because that was the most embarrassing thing Keith had ever attempted in his life.

"I don't show-bend, Lance," Keith said. He tried to say it cooly, but he didn't think he had ever sounded so bubbly before. Lance could sense this, and he came back over. He leaned close, making Keith even more flustered.

"You did the first time we showed bended together," was he talking about the gym. Keith felt the need to groan in embarrassment just remembering that. He covered his hands with his face to hide his blushing.

"We shouldn't talk about that," Keith said simply. Lance grinned at him before pulling his phone out. He put his phone on shuffle. Keith heard the song once or twice before, and thankfully it wasn't Shrek. Or if it was and he just didn't recognize it, Keith was going to be very disappointed in his boyfriend.

"Trust me; it'll be fun," Lance coaxed. Keith put his hands down, staring at the hand Lance was offering him. He wanted to take it, but he didn't want to embarrass himself. "Don't worry; I'll help you."

 _Fuck it_. Keith took his hand, and Lance pulled him close. With one hand, Lance was holding onto Keith, and with the other he began bending water out of the kitchen tap.

"Connection is important," Lance said, spinning Keith around. He pulled him close before pulling back out, and then reaching back in. He did that a lot with his show-bending. He liked to move close suddenly and then far away right when you think he has finally settled into your arms, and his dancing reflected this perfectly.

Keith was beginning to realize that maybe Lance was trying to play cat and mouse with Keith. But Keith was genuinely stumped on who was the cat and who was the mouse. Lance was giving himself up and then pulling back. It was drawing Keith in like it was the mouse luring in the cat. While it was a bit annoying at first, Keith found it to be fun the more he danced.

"Your element isn't something you should control; if it comes naturally then it is real and alive." Lance demonstrated this with his ice-bending. Small drops of water froze over his head like diamonds, and they moved in lazy circles. Lance was playing with the water, too, and it almost felt like Keith was dancing with two people.

The water was a great dance partner. Sometimes Lance would have it guide his feet and hands, helping him dance. It was amazing how fun it was to let the water move for him. It would collect into ribbons around him, moving too fast over his body to fast for Keith to see.

Water bleed into and clasped his hands. Keith couldn't help but laugh at how silly it was that he was waltzing with water. The water spun him back into Lance, and Lance was dancing with him again. The were both grinning like madmen, but Keith couldn't bring himself to be bothered by that.

The water swirled around them in a vortex, reaching a vertex above their heads and shimmering back down like a fountain. The water moved with them as the moved around the kitchen.

If the music wasn't so loud, Keith was certain Lance would be able to hear his heartbeat. He was smiling softly, and the music was hitting a low point. Keith felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked behind him. The stream of water nodded at him, like it was asking Keith to follow it. Keith did just that.

Lance stepped back, bending the water in tune with Keith. He didn't know what he liked more, actually dancing with Keith or watching him dance. They were both spectacular, and Keith was smiling the entire time, so Lance decided he was fine with either.

The stream of water moved around Keith like a snake. It was quick, very different from most waterbending. It moved in an un-Lance fashion, and Keith was so amazed by how lively it was that he didn't know if Lance was actually controlling it.

Lance slide on the floor with his socks, putting himself before the stream and Keith as the song changed once again. "Mind if I steal this dance?" He asked to the stream. Keith and Lance had very different senses of humor; that was very obvious when they first met. Keith didn't find many things funny, but he did laugh when Lance said this. It was so... Wholesome, and Keith loved it

The water started to shrink back into the floor, and Lance bended it back into the sink. Grabbing both of Keith's hands, Lance looked to face Keith. Lance moved slowly despite the quick tempo. He led him around the kitchen, singing along with the song. At first it was his normal out-of tune voice, the one that was super obnoxious.

Eventually Keith was able to follow the rhythm and dance with Lance instead of just following him. He didn't usually dance, but then again, how different could dancing and bending really be?

The answer to that question was not very. Keith and Lance styles clashed, though. Keith was quick and used his legs. Lance was slow and had a lot of his movements concentrated in his shoulders and waist. They eventually broke up, moving apart. Their once intimate dance was becoming less of a moment and more of a competition. Keith didn't doubt who would win. Lance had been doing this his entire life. But Keith continued anyways. It was fun, and Keith didn't mind doing what Lance enjoyed. In fact, he liked this a lot better than whenever they did things Keith normally did. Dancing was a lot more enjoyable than getting hit in the face with a clay disc.

Keith was breathing heavily. His face was getting hot, and his legs were telling him that they didn't like this new activity. When Keith turned around, he felt himself run into Lance's bsck. Keith started falling back, reaching up to grab something. The closest thing was Lance.

"Whoa!" Keith yelled as he slipped, and Lance made a surprised noise when he started falling as well. Keith landed first, and rolled on his side to avoid being crushed by Lance.

After a silent moment when they laid side by side, Lance said, "Our neighbors must hate us." Keith couldn't help the obnoxiously loud laugh coming out of his body. And Lance turned on his side to smile at him, proping his head on his hand to look at him. When Keith finally stooped laughing, Lance smiled softly and looked at the floor between them.

They laid on the floor like it was completely natural, and then Lance turned back around and folded his hands underneath his head like a pillow.

"How come we always fall when you to teach me show-bending?" Keith asked. This time it was him who turned on his side to face Lance. Lance turned his head so he could look at Keith.

"My moves are too slick for you to handle." Keith rolled his eyes, hitting Lance playfully. Lance laughed, and Keith sat up, stretching his arms over his head. "Or maybe I'm just really easy to fall for." Keith snorted loudly at this before covering his nose in embarrassment. He looked at Lance in the corner of his eye. Lance sat up, wide-eyed.

"Oh my god, you snort laugh."

"No! I just do that whenever you say something dumb," Keith was blushing now, still keeping his hands on his face.

"You don't have to hide it; I've already seen it. Just admit you snort," Lance told him. He stood up, offering his hand to Keith. Keith didn't take it, pushing himself up.

"I don't snort," he protested. Lance grinned smugly at him, and Keith poked his shoulder forcefully. "Fuck off and watch your movie."

"Are you gonna watch with me?" Keith frowned at him. If he hadn't managed to stay awake during all the 'climatic' scenes, what made Lance think he could stay awake for the rest of it? Besides, it was already dark out, and Keith was bone tired.

"I'm too tired for a movie," he said. He moved past Lance to head to his room. He liked spending time with Lance, but the bed was calling to him. Lance grabbed his hand before he could leave.

"Well, I mean you can sleep. If you want. But like with... Me on the—" he let go of Keith's hand, trying to speak several sentences at once. "But not if you don't want to..."

Keith was more than surprised at Lance's sudden spontaneousness. The kissing, the dancing, and now Lance wants him to sleep on the couch with him? Keith knew Lance wanted to take things slow, and Lance was doing this almost impulsively. He didn't want Lance to be uncomfortable in the morning when the excitement and humor faded away.

"Are you sure?" Keith asked seriously. "You said you wanted to take things slow." Lance thought for a moment. Keith wondered what exactly he was thinking about, but before he could even speculate, Lance nodded.

"Alright."

Accidentally falling asleep and purposely falling asleep were too different things. Keith's speciality was falling asleep during movies. But how could he fall asleep when he wasn't even watching the movie but instead looking up at Lance and wondering how in all the world's fortune was he lucky enough to born in the same year as Lance.

Lance was again moving around continuously through out the rest of the movie. The movie was working through the very last dramatic scene where Gao and his girlfriend along with the remaining survivors have to repopulate the earth. Gao had managed to close the portals, and with it he somehow forced the spirits back (Keith was more than confused about this part).

"Wouldn't repopulating the world with only a limited amount of people lead to inbreeding?" Lance asked out loud, chewing popcorn loudly while hanging upside down. "Like, eventually they're going to run out of people, and you'll have to marry your third cousin."

"I stopped guessing the motives in this movie when Gao burned down the air temple because of it's 'spiritual attraction.'" Keith admitted. Lance sat up right, setting his bowl on the floor.

"This movie is the longest Ben Afflect movie ever. He's not a bad actor, he just..." Lance gestured wildly at the screen. Keith moved to make room for Lance, leaning against his arm. He was able to bend his head back enough that he could comfortably rest on Lance's shoulder.

"He sets himself up for failure when he plays the most powerful and skilled bender ever but can't bend himself," Keith added. "And why are the angsty heroes always firebenders?"

"Well, then again it makes sense. You are the most angst-filled hero I have ever met," Lance told him. He was still looking the screen, but his eyelids were slow and heavy. Keith could tell he was close to falling asleep.

"What am I angsty about?" Keith asked incredulously. He moved so he could turn and face Lance. Lance yawned as the credits began to roll with the dramatic music. He leaned down to pick up the popcorn bowl and remote.

"I don't know. Garrison? You did challenge me to a fight when I got you suspended." He turned off the TV and stood up. Keith watched him from the couch. Lance threw the kernels away and put the bowl in the sink.

"You got me suspended; I had the right to fight you," Keith was starting to feel his throat close. Remembering that fight was not pleasant. Keith never tried to forget; he knew he had to live with the consequences. But sometimes when he was happy and laughing with Lance, it felt like nothing bad had ever happened between them. Thankfully, Lance didn't bring up the fight after that.

"You are such a harsh trainer, too," he added. He walked into the bathroom, and Keith heard him turn on the sink and start brushing his teeth. Keith got up from his seat and followed Lance, sitting on the toilet lid.

"Yeah, I was an ass." Lance grunted in agreement with Keith. "But it worked, you became a great pro-bender!" Lance finished brushing his teeth, and wiped his mouth on the towel.

"Kisses would have been equally effective," he looked at Keith and winked. Keith immediately made a pointed face. If he kissed Lance three weeks ago, Lance would have died from intimacy-overload. Lance noticed Keith looking at him blankly. "Alright, I'll give you this one. Your angsty teaching worked." He washed his face with soap, scrubbing his cheeks with his hands. Keith had become quite accustomed to Lance's cleaning regime. But whenever Lance was really tired, he only washed his face. He must have been a lot more tired than he let on.

"Either way, I'm going to sleep. We have training tomorrow, right?" Keith nodded, standing up straight. Lance walked towards his room, and Keith wanted to follow, but he didn't.

"Goodnight, sunshine!" Lance called. Keith heard his door close, and Keith started to wonder how he fell in love with someone as sarcastic as Lance was.

Keith brushed his teeth quickly. He had adopted to washing his face ever since Lance moved in, mostly because he knew if he didn't, Lance would subject him to bi-daily exfoliating sessions that took over an hour and made Keith's back hurt from sitting so long with his head bent back.

Keith made his way to his bed. He changed his pants but was too tired to change shirts. He took his off and crawled into bed. The pillow was so cool, and the blankets were weighted enough to make Keith feel perfectly snug.

Keith could hear Lance talking softly in the room over. The walls muffled his talking enough that when coupled with Keith's tiredness, it sounded like complete gibberish. Keith was on his way to falling into the deepest sleep he'd ever experience when he heard Lance clearly for the first time.

"Visit tomorrow? I'm not sure mom; I'm kinda busy. Doing what? Ah, you know. Work." Keith fell asleep before he could hear the rest of whatever conversation Lance was having. Keith vaguely remembered Lance's mother. She was one of those moms that came to the Garrison child's development meetings (for her 21 year old son, of course). Keith had only taken note of her because she was strangely pretty. Something about her was intimidating because she looked nice and compassionate, but on the verge of being not quite human. Like a water spirit, although Keith really doubted if there were an human-spirits.

But if there were, it'd be Lance and his mother. Keith never met Lance's father, and he wondered momentarily if he also looked like a water spirit. Probably not.

Keith was quite used to his last thought of the night pertaining to Lance, and like so many nights before then, he fell asleep comforted by the idea that when he woke up, the first thing he'd see is Lance.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 9000 words of like four hours in the story... I honestly thought i had more??? Like less words, more plot

Lance was running around like a flying lemur, and Keith was extremely annoyed. He honestly didn't understand what the big deal was. Lance's mother was only coming for a visit, so why was Lance acting like the firelord was spending the night?

"Lance," Keith say and tried to get him to settle. "Calm yourself. This isn't a big deal." Lance certainly acted like it was. He had fluffed the couch's pillows, vacuumed the floor, and scrubbed the balcony sliding door. He even rearranged the flower pots outside to look nicer even though they still looked the exact same to Keith.

"She can't know anything, Keith. As far as she knows, I'm contracting for professional show-bending. You aren't a pro-bender, and neither am I." Keith frowned. Why was Lance lying to his mother? Shouldn't she know what Lance was doing? Lance had moved away in order to become more independent, so why was he still lying? He had even made a big speech about how he was supposed to be an adult with his own decisions. Now was the time to prove that.

Keith remember the words Lance had spoken last night through their wall very hazily. He didn't think that when he opened Lance's bedroom door to wake Lance for their morning jog this next day that Lance would already have been up and completely cleaned his room. Keith never took Lance for the overly-clean type, but his room had looked spotless.

"Lance, why can't she find out?" Lance turned to him and pulled down the hem of his shirt. There was a black tattoo over his heart, detailed and perfectly circular. Inside was a Water Tribe symbol, but not the kind that Keith normally saw associated with waterbenders.

"This tattoo is everything to my family. Well, to my dad. It marks my family's nobility, and pro-bending isn't exactly something that nobles praise." He pulled his shirt back up and went about rearranging the dinning room table so that the fruit bowl was replaced by a small vase. "If I was ever caught doing something so... So..." He gestured in exasperation, "So _barbaric_ my family would disown me." Keith snapped his head to look at Lance, not bothering to hid the hurt and anger.

"I'm sorry; I hadn't realized that we were doing something so ungodly," Keith said back with a frown. Lance turned to him, and his worry melted into regret. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes before his features softened again.

"I-I didn't mean it like that; I'm sorry. It's just that... I really like pro-bending, and I really like being a pro-bender. But not everyone in my family is going to share my sentiment." Keith huffed out a little. He realized the position Lance was in, and he tried to be understanding, but at the same time he couldn't understand.

"Lance, if you want to pro-bend that's your choice. You shouldn't let what your nobility status is prevent you from doing the things you love," Keith said. He had felt personally attacked because without pro-bending, there would be no Keith and Lance. They wouldn't have ever spoken. He was proud of his pro-bending status, and he wished Lance would be, too.

"But nobility isn't the same in the Water Tribes as it is in the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. If one person does something, the entire family is punished. If word gets out, not only could I be rejected from my social position, but my parents as well. I can't mess this up for them—!" Keith walked up to him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Lance, just stop for one moment." Lance did as he was told and stopped. He turned to face Keith, and Keith could feel the tension drooping Lance's shoulders like a heavy weight.

"It's just a visit. I'll even help you clean, but you gotta take a break. Have you eaten breakfast?" Lance shook his head. Keith pursed his lips. Honestly, how did Lance function without a person leading him through a daily regime?

"I'm going to make breakfast, and you're going to help me." Lance nodded. Lance wasn't a very good cook. Well, he was when it came to watertribe food. But ask Lance to make you scrambled eggs, and he'd somehow manage to catch the sink on fire. Keith wasn't a godsend either. In fact, he was even worse in the kitchen. Together, they were atrocious. But when they cooked together it was fun, so they did it at least once a week. Besides, neither of them minded unevenly cooked food or charred toast that much.

Keith put Lance in charge of getting all the ingredients out while he prepared the stove and mixing bowls. "We're making fire nation speciality, hot cakes!" Keith enthused, rubbing his hands together. Hot cakes were a flat biscuit-like breakfast food. It wasn't very popular in other places because it was very spicy and strangely sweet, but Keith loved them.

Lance didn't really like them; he had the tastebuds of a waterbender: salty and bland. But he also had a sort of love/hate relationship with hot cakes. He usually added a gallon of maple syrup, and then he'd really like them. He didn't care what Keith said; maple syrup made the world a much brighter place. But he never told Keith that he didn't like them (the excitement on Keith's face when Lance said he liked them was too precious to shatter despite having eaten enough hot cakes to make him hate all peppers).

Keith didn't trust Lance with mixing any liquids. The waterbender liked to use bending to mix the ingredients, and the more he bended in the kitchen, the messier it got. Not to mention Lance wasn't very skilled at bending eggs and puddles of oil off the floor. But then again, Keith didn't trust Lance with a whisk and powder. Either way, Lance was sure to make a mess.

"Promise you won't wreck the kitchen?" Keith asked, pointing the whisk at him accusingly. "No bending the batter, no throwing eggs, and especially no syrup covered spoon handles." Lance feigned offense.

"How dare you? I am a professional. I was raised with the utmost proper etiquette, and my manners are derived from traditions that are hundreds of years old!" Keith rolled his eyes.

"Professional of what?"

"Uh, waterbending?" When Lance saw that Keith was not convinced, he scoffed. "Just give me the whisk." Keith gave it to him, something he hoped he wouldn't regret later.

Keith moved next to him with the bowls, handing him one. Between the two of them, they only had one measuring cup, so they had to take turns.

"1 cup of hippo-cow milk and a fourth cup of melted butter," Keith told him carefully. If he wasn't specific enough, Lance would mix it up, and then things would go very bad very quickly.

"Yeah yeah, I know," Lance said. He gave the cup of butter to Keith while he stirred. Keith melted the butter for him with a pant of hot air and handed it back. Lance dumped it in, making a snide comment about sanitation while wrinkling his nose. Keith found this funny considering that Lance just kissed him twice yesterday.

Keith was in charge of the dry ingredients. Flour, cinnamon, baking soda, etc. He knew the recipe by heart because he made it so many time, but even he could understand that the recipe wasn't very... Common. When he first cooked breakfast after Lance moved in, Lance was thoroughly horrified by what Keith was putting in the bowl. Spices Lance had never heard of, weird fire nation peppers, and even some sort of ember island mushroom.

"Fire nation food is so weird. When you guys aren't eating meat on a stick, you have the most complicated forms of pancakes," Lance said when he finished mixing. He handed the bowl to Keith.

"Meat on a stick? Are you talking about yakitori? You do realize that it's not just meat, right?" Keith said, pouring Lance's bowl into his and mixing it. Lance shrugged.

"All I know is that no one really appreciates how good salty soup is. Very underrated if I do say so myself." Keith rolled his eyes.

"Not everyone grows up surrounded by salt and fish, Lance."

"Technically, you did. Republic City has the harbor, and it's saltwater." Okay, Lance did have a point. Keith looked to Lance to further his point, but stopped when he saw Lance leaning on the counter, his arms crossed and head turned to look out the balcony. The mood between them shifted suddenly. "Do you ever think what would have happened if Republic City had never existed?"

Keith grabbed a ladle and poured the first hot cake. He was accustomed to the spontaneous questions Lance asked. It wasn't hard to draw a line to connect Lance's thoughts together, and after spending so much time with him, Keith had become very good at it.

"What do you mean?" Keith asked without looking up. Lance hummed in thought.

"It's just... If this place never existed, I would have never left my tribe. I'd be some water bender in the North Pole sitting in political meetings being asked things I don't know." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I would have never met you or Hunk or Pidge."

Keith flipped the hot cake over and turned around to look at Lance. Keith always wondered how Lance did that; how he could ask such large questions that he didn't want to know the answers to.

"If this city didn't exist, neither would I," Keith said. "And I'm really glad it does; because to be frank, if it didn't, I'd have missed out on an entire life time with you." The moment Keith said that, he inwardly cringed. Oh no, he sounded so cliche, didn't he?

Lance was looking at him, not saying anything. His face betrayed no emotions, and Keith shifted uncomfortably. "Too cheesy?" He asked. Lance smiled.

"Not at all. And I'm glad the city exists, too," he stepped closer to Keith. "After all, I can't imagine ever denying you all my amazing pro-bending talents." Keith almost threw the spatula at him, but he still needed it, so he swatted at Lance instead.

"You're so damn immature," he chided. He turned back to the pan to hide his smile. He flipped over the hot cake. It was slightly burnt on one-side, but that didn't matter. Keith put it on a plate and poured another into the pan. "Make yourself useful and clean the counter while I finish this."

"Aye-aye, Captain." Lance started putting back all the ingredients. He continued talking to Keith about things he randomly thought of. Keith was listening, but in the back of his mind, he was thinking about what Lance had said. A life without Lance was Keith's future until two months ago. And now they were dating and living together. It was funny how life worked that way, and Keith was eternally grateful that their lives were intertwined as intricately as they are now. So many things could have happened that would have prevented this, and Keith was lucky enough to have arrived to where he was now. Two months ago, Keith would have given anything to keep Lance out of his life. Now, Keith would give up everything to stay with Lance. Funny how things like that turned out.

"... And my mother knows about you, but not in like a good—" Keith's head snapped up out of his thoughts and he turned to look at Lance, who was equally a taken back but for different reasons. "W-what? Hey, give me a break, I didn't exa—"

"Wait, wait," Keith said slowly. "I'm meeting your mother?" Lance frowned and nodded like it was obvious information.

"Well, yeah; I mean I'm pretty sure my mom wants to meet my boyfriend," Keith leaned back, narrowly missing burning his hands on the hot stove. Lance had just called Keith his boyfriend. Oh man, Keith had been waiting for this moment for weeks, but not in this context. He was certainly not prepared to meet Lance's mother. Not now, and probably not ever.

"I-I can't meet her! I'm not ready, oh Aang... What is she doesn't like me? Does she approve of you dating guys? Wait, does she know I'm a firebender? What if she doesn't like firebenders?" Keith said suddenly in a long ramble. Lance stared at him wide-eyed; his mouth gapping like a fish. "And what if she finds out who I am? That I'm Yuen! Lance, what if she says you can't date me?" He whispered the last part, his eyes boring into Lance's own.

It was Lance's turned to reassure Keith, now. He took Keith's hands into his own. Keith had forgotten his gloves in his room, and Lance liked being able to touch his palms. While his fingers were calloused, his hands were not, and Lance suddenly thought that he might know what those gloves were for.

"Hey, hey," he said calmly. "Look at me," and Keith did. They locked eyes, and Keith could see the gentleness in Lance's eyes. He could also tell that Lance was equally as nervous as he was. But being able to look at them with such familiarness was comforting to Keith. "It doesn't matter if she likes you or not because she is going to love you."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because she knows I love you." Keith's heart was beating incredibly fast. He felt like screaming and laughing at the same time. Lance had only known him for two months, they had been dating for what, four days? How was Lance so sure that he loved Keith?

Keith knew he loved Lance. It had taken him awhile to really like him, but having a crush on Lance was like moss growing on a rock. It was quick, and it'd be weeks before you realized that that rock was once bare and plain. It felt natural for it to have always been there. How long had he loved Lance? Days? Weeks? A month? A year? Keith couldn't tell.

It wasn't hard to fall in love with Lance. He had that stupid smile and those stupid bending skills and he was stupidly stubborn when it came to waterbending. He thought he was so damn funny, and Keith tried not to laugh at his bad jokes, but sometimes he just had to. And when Lance was holding his hands like he was right now... Well Keith had just found another reason to love Lance even more.

But how sure was he that Lance loved him back? Keith wasn't exactly easy to love. He was guarded, bitter, and liked his independence. Lance knew all these things, and he loved Keith? The notion felt almost impossible to Keith. It just wasn't possible. Keith wasn't exactly the most favorable person to have a romantic relationship.

Lance leaned in, and their noses touched. Keith could see every shade of blue in Lance's eyes; he could see the reflections of Lance's eyelashes. He could see Lance's eyes move back and forth, trying to decide which eye he should look into. Eventually Lance just closed his eyes, and placed his hand on top of Keith's head.

"Trust me."

That's all it took. Just two words, and Keith would do anything for Lance. If Lance asked, Keith could fight a hundred men, and he would win. All Lance had to do was say those two words. He could ask Keith to die, and if he said those words, Keith would die knowing full well Lance would bring him back to the living world some way, some how.

Keith nodded. Trusting Lance was as easy as breathing, and it didn't matter what Lance was asking his faith on.

There was no doubting Lance's feelings for Keith. Keith believed him. He trusted him.

"Also, you're hot cake is smoking." Keith whipped around, seeing the gray smoke rising from his breakfast. Goddammit, every fucking time they shared a moment... Keith quickly flipped the hot cake, grimacing at the charred underside of the hot cake.

"That one can be mine," Lance offered. He was smiling smugly, and Keith had the mentality to deny him any hot cakes. But even if it was smug as hot shit, Keith loved that damn smile. Keith scooped the hot cake up with his spatula and put it in the trash.

"I'll just make a new one. And aren't you supposed to be cleaning the counters or something?" Lance looked like he was going to groan, but the reminder that his mother was visiting made him stand straight. Grumbling, he grabbed his all-purpose spray and paper towels from the dinning table.

"Save me two!" He called, disappearing into the bathroom.

Without Lance, the kitchen felt emptier. It was small enough that it could only fit a few people; but with Lance gone it felt a lot bigger. It was a lot quieter and lonelier than Keith remember it being before Lance moved in, but then again, Keith managed not to burn the next three pancakes (they were undercooked at worst) so he decided maybe it wasn't too bad. Keith set two of the pancakes on a plate and placed it on the counter. He worked on scrubbing the mixing bowls with his worn sponge. He put the plates in the dishwasher, filling it with other dishes before pressing start.

He ate his breakfast quickly. The hot cakes weren't too bad for Keith's standard. He may have been a little too heavy on the sugar, but he didn't really care. When he was finished, he dusted the crumbs off his shirt and got to sweeping.

He was still a little in the dark about what was happening. Lance's mother was coming over to do what? Inspect the house? Inspect Keith? Inspect Lance to make sure Keith was being nice to him?

What time was she even coming, and when had she decided to just come over? Would Keith have time to take a shower and clean his room? Lance acted like not even he knew these answers.

Keith dug around the cabinet under the kitchen sink for the dust pan and threw away whatever his broom had collected underneath the dinning table. He got to wiping down the stove and the furniture when Lance reemerged from the bathroom. He had his spray revoked until he ate, and so Lance ate them quickly, trying not to cringe by how spicy is was. People ate this for breakfast in the fire nation? Children ate this on a daily basis? He knew everyone in the Fire Nation had high spice tolerance, but that was a lot of chillies in the morning. They must have been a lot tougher down in the fire nation because Lance had to pour himself two cups of milk to keep his mouth from choking him.

When he finished, he had to hand-wash his plate ("Why did you start the dishwasher?"  
"Because it was full" "But what about my plate?" "Just use the sponge").

He told Keith to take a shower while he finished up dusting. Keith was hesitant to do so, but eventually Lance convinced him that he wouldn't accidentally rip the ceiling fan off the ceiling while cleaning the blades, and Keith promised to be quick just incase Lance did break their roof.

Lance's mother wouldn't be here for another hour, but they still needed to clean Keith's room, and Lance was very afraid of what that would ensue. Lance had only been in his room a few times, but for a guy who didn't own a lot of personal stuff, he had a lot of junk.

Keith was also one of those people who showered for half an hour, and Lance didn't know why because it's not like Keith was exfoliating or scrubbing or whatever. At most, Keith was shampooing. Hopefully a bar of soap would be used as well.

It wouldn't surprise Lance if Keith just sat on the floor of the shower contemplating how best to avoid talking to people for that day. Either that or he was secretly singing, and Lance just can't hear him over the shower head. Lance got a little too giddy at the thought of hearing Keith sing. It'd probably never happen anyways.

Lance finished cleaning right as Keith walked out of the shower.

Now, Lance had been living with Keith for about two weeks. He had seen Keith multiple times without a shirt on even before he found out Keith was a pro-bender and started spending time with him by joining his team. So Lance should have been used to the sight of Keith walking out with just a towel around his waist. But motherfucker—

Lance adverted his eyes. He didn't care that he was 21 and dating Keith. He covered his eyes like he was eight, cracking his fingers slightly because he also didn't want to miss the show despite how much it flustered him.

Most benders are pretty fit. Whether is was pure size and muscle (like Hunk) or even slim flexibility and lean muscle (like Lance), you can expect any bender to be able to do some pretty impressive feats of strength. Keith had the body of a boxer. He wasn't overly tall, but he was quick on his feet and had the long arms to send powerful jabs of fire. His shoulders weren't broad or slim, somewhere in the middle, and if Lance had to describe Keith physically in one word it'd be simple: Firebender. (Or is it two words, fire bender?)

And Lance couldn't handle this. Keith was always attractive. But while his face looked like a porcelain doll made from the most delicate glass, his body look like it was carved from rock by some ancient lion turtle. "Here is the ideal body, good fucking luck dealing with this." What an asshole.

Keith was so unfair in that way, and Lance just didn't know what to do with himself or Keith. Shove him away and tell him to get dress? Hide in a corner and pretend for a moment that he wasn't extremely attracted to Keith? There was another option, but Lance refused to tread in those waters. Once you were in the deep end, very few things could pull you back from the brink.

Keith hadn't even noticed Lance staring at him from the living room. He just switched off the light and headed to his room, the water dripping onto the floor. The floor that Lance had just cleaned!

Lance supposed he might as well follow and waterbend the water off the floor. You know, to keep the floor dry and clean. He wasn't doing anything wrong; he was just cleaning. Yeah, just cleaning.

When the water droplets were all collect in a bubble of water above Lance's hands, he dumped them into the bathroom sink. He chewed on his cheek for a moment as he thought, leaning on the edge of the sink with his hands.

He still wanted their relationship to be slow, that's for sure. They'd only be dating a week, and Lance had already kissed him. Were they going too fast? It didn't feel too fast, but Lance didn't know what this meant for them. Can he kiss Keith whenever Keith would let him? Or were they still too new at it for anything other than the occasional peck?

"Do you normally spend your time glaring at the bathroom wall?" Lance looked up at the voice. Keith was leaning on the door frame of the bathroom. His hair was still soaking wet and tangled, and Lance had to resist the urge to hold him down so he could brush it. Keith hung his towel up when Lance didn't answer. "Alright, so what's next?"

"Um, your bedroom. If you're fine with it, that is. I don't want my mom snooping around the entire house," Lance said. Keith nodded.

"I don't mind. I've been meaning to clean it for some time," they walked down the hall and Keith opened his door. It was still a mess as always, but suddenly it felt overwhelming. Lance was torn between screaming in horror or pulling Keith out, closing the door, and locking it forever.

"How long is some time?" Lance asked, eyeing the trash can that was overflowing three feet above the bin in a mountain that looked like it was going to be a bitch to push in a trash bag.

Keith kicked at a stray sock.

"I don't know, a month? Two?" Lance wrinkled his nose in disgust. That was nasty, and there was a lot of work to be done. Frowning, Lance glanced around. Where to begin? Keith's closest was nearly empty, and all his clothes were strewn across the floors in make shift piles. They could easily do two loads of laundry with the amount of shirts he had laying around.

Cans of various drinks were stacked almost triumphantly on a dresser, and Lance didn't know how to take it down without the entire tower toppling on him and burying him. Keith also had hundreds of balls of paper everywhere. They were crumbled up and collecting dust. Lance was curious to know what knowledge each ball hid, but he didn't have time to read them all. Besides, it was probably emo poetry Keith failed to write.

Lance wondered if Keith wrote about him... Maybe he should look—

"We're going to need a trash bag," Lance said simply.

  
Half an hour and two trash bags later, Lance and Keith had picked through all the trash and laundry. The paper balls were un-crumbled, read by Keith (and only Keith), and then crumbled again to be thrown away. Lance didn't trust Keith's hygienic skills enough to do the sniff-test on any piece of clothing, so they agreed to wash it all and hope for the best.

After Keith had wiped down the window and mirror, he jumped onto his bed. Lance gawked at him. He had spent a good few minuets perfecting the newly cleaned sheets to look nice. Keith buried his face in the comforter which was fresh out of the dryer. He sprawled out on the maroon bed and sighed loudly. Lance couldn't agree more; he was tired, too, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down next to Keith and take a long nap.

"This is the cleanest my room has been in like... A year."

"We're not done yet; you still have a closet that needs to be sorted," Lance said. He opened the door to Keith's closet. The clothes that were hung up were things Lance had never seen Keith wore. Suits that were too big, large jackets, and button up shirts. His Garrison uniform was in there, too, unwrinkled and slightly faded. Lance frowned at the sight. It was strange to see Keith own such formal clothes.

"I don't feel like cleaning the closet. Besides, isn't your mom going to be here soon?" Keith asked, folding his hands behind his head. Lance didn't answer and something caught his eye. It was a small brown box filled with trinkets and knick-knacks. Lance pulled it out, looking at the name 'Shiro' scribbled on it. The writing looked new, but the things inside did not.

Lance noticed a picture frame and pulled it out. It was Keith looking away from a camera next to a guy that looked around their age. Keith looked a lot younger in this picture, probably 11 or 12. He was pouting as the older guy had his arm slung around Keith's shoulders and grinned brightly at the camera.

Lance put the photo down. He noticed a shiny silver badge in the box. It was a Republic City police badge. Lance glanced up at Keith. Was he supposed to be looking through this box? If not, why wasn't Keith saying anything?

Lance slid the box back in the closet, choosing not to say anything. It really wasn't any of his business. He glanced up at the closet. Suddenly the formal and large clothes made sense. Shiro must have been the older brother Keith mentioned a few weeks ago, the ex-cop. The one who taught Keith how to pro-bend. What was a cop like Shiro doing teaching little kids how to pro-bend?

Lance stood up. Keith was still on the bed; his eyes closed in relaxation. Lance walked over poked him in the stomach, and Keith squirmed like a pinned bug.

"Don't do that; it tickles!" He told him. Lance smiled at him. So Keith was ticklish? That was very valuable information to have. But they didn't have time for tickle fights. Their guest would be here any minuet.

Lance helped Keith up from the bed and gave him a once-over, adjusting his hair and shirt. "Okay, you're my nice normal boyfriend. No pro-bending. Never met a Galra thug in our entire life. We met in Garrison—" he paused suddenly as he was fixing Keith's shirt. "Oh, I—uh. Back when you didn't know me... I uh... Well my mom does know you. But like... Not in a good way?"

"What?" Keith asked flatly with wide eyes. "W-wait, what did you tell her? What does she think about me?" Lance winced. Honestly, when he was talking shit about that apathetic firebender six months ago, Lance didn't ever think that he might one day being dating him.

"Well, I mean. She doesn't exactly know we're dating yet. But last time she heard your name it was because you were still... Number one, so I mean, maybe she forgot?" Keith just stared at him with his mouth hung open in shock.

"And if she remembers?" He asked. Lance grimaced.

"Just... Uh... Play it cool? Yeah, do that. Don't give her any reason to suspect you are the same person from my Garrison class."

"But I am!"

"Well yeah, I know that. Look, I made a big mistake. But I was a dumbass—"

"Was?" Lance gave him a pointed look.

"Okay, I am a dumbass. I'll admit it; I may or may not have messed up. But technically this is your first meeting! Make her realize I was just a jealous ass," He said in an attempt to be reassuring.

"I don't know, Lance. I'm not too good with people," Keith said hastily. How he was always put on the spot like this was a mystery to him. He figured the universe was probably just out to get him.

"You'll be fine," Lance grabbed his hand. "I know she's going to like you." Trust me. That's what Lance had told him earlier. Keith chewed on his lip and nodded.

"Okay, okay. I can do this; I can–" he was cut off by the sound of a knock on the door. "Oh god, I can't do this. Tell her I'm at work or something!" Lance glared at Keith.

"Don't be a baby, just do you, and everything will be fine," Lance said calmly. He turned sway to run to the door. Keith followed him, although a lot slower, and braced himself for the most awkward interaction he was ever going to have. Lance swung open the door, and Keith tried to peek past his body to see Mrs. McClain.

"Oh, my baby boy! How are you?" A smooth and low voice cooed. Keith saw her as Lance stepped to the side to let her in. She did a quick scan of the apartment—and Keith—before turning to smile at Lance and pinch his cheek. Keith took this moment to study her.

If Lance bended like a water spirit, then he got it from his mother who certainly looked like a water spirit. She had a round nose and full cheeks with a pointy chin. Her eyes were small and almost harshly sharp. They were the same crystal blue as Lance's, except there was more fluidness, as if her irises were made of actual deep sea water. She looked like Lance albeit much more feminine and a tad taller. She looked like the type of woman you'd be destroyed by in a bending competition. Even if Lance was the only bender in his family, she moved like a master bender. Her moves were graceful and fluid. Keith had only seen her take a couple of steps, but he was amazed how light and firm her steps were. He couldn't explain why Lance's mom was so pretty and intimating, but she was, and it was almost terrifying.

Keith was even more nervous now. Her gray hair was done in a way that screamed she was noble and knew how to present herself as such. Her clothes, like Lance's, were icy purple and navy blue. They complimented her in ways Keith couldn't explain with words, and she seemed like the pure epitome of a water tribe goddess.

So yeah, Keith was shitting bricks because Lance was related to a spirit.

"And this is your roommate?" Mrs. McClain asked Lance. While her entire presence was of power and almost completely dominating, her voice was dry and low. It was comforting. She sounded nice.

Lance walked up to Keith, grabbing his hand. "Yeah, but I uh— well we started—after I moved in— well I mean it was kinda before, but not like... Official official. Sorta unspoken? But we got there eventually. Eventually eventually. It's a long story!" Keith was amazed at how clumsy Lance was being with his words. His mother was confused, frowning and cocking her head at him. _Just like Lance_ , Keith thought while glancing between the two of them.

Mrs. McClain obviously had no idea what Lance was talking about. But she did notice their intertwined hands. Keith saw her eyes fall down sharply and then back up. Keith could see the idea pop in her head as she put two and two together instantly.

"You boys are dating?" She asked, but she already knew the answer. Lance nodded. Keith searched her face for any indication of disapproval. Dating someone of the same gender wasn't too bad in Republic City; especially after Avatar Korra married her wife Asami. But there was still social stigmas that made Keith nervous to be open about himself. He didn't like being judged, and one mistake on someone else's part could make him very angry, and he didn't make good choices when pissed off.

"I'm Keith Kogan," Keith said hesitantly, trying to give her a smile, but he wasn't having too much luck in that department.

"Hm," Mrs. McClain looked Keith up and down. She got closer to the two of them. Keith tried not to step back as she examined him closely, and she was even more intimidating up close than a feet away. "He's got very pretty eyes." She said simply. Keith let out a breath of relief.

"Yeah!" Lance agreed. "Just one of the many great things about him." Lance patted his shoulder like he were show casing a dog instead of introducing his boyfriend, and Keith tried not to blush. He could see where Lance got a lot of his personality from (even if most of it was lost when he was a fumbling mess—especially around his mother). Mrs. McClain was very straight forward, and Keith admired that.

"You're a fire nation boy, right?" Keith tense up. How could she tell? His eyes? His hair style?

"Well, actually I was born here. My mom is an Earth Kingdom citizen, but my parents live in the Fire Nation now." Keith told her. She nodded in indication she was listening.

"Oh, uh, mom, want something to drink?" Lance asked. Keith glanced at him. The nervousness had completely vanished. Keith could see that he and his mom were very close. Mrs. McClain smiled at him, stoking his cheek with her hand and looked like she was about to smother him in mom kisses.

"No, thank you. I just came here today to see how you were," she said. She looked at Keith. "He always liked to stick close to home. Once, he and his father went to visit the North Pole, and he had to call me every night or he couldn't sleep." Lance groaned at that, blushing.

"Mom, that's embarrassing; please don't tell him that." Mrs. McClain brushed him off. She was smiling at Keith, and Keith found himself smiling as well.

"Would you like a seat, Mrs. McClain?"

"Please, call me Sedna," she said, following Keith into the living room. She sat on the couch next to Lance.

"You have such a nice place! I'm amazed," she said; Sedna then looked at Lance. "When Iluak moved out, his apartment was a mess!" She then looked at Keith who was sitting in an arm chair across from the two.

"Iluak is Lance's older brother," she explained to him. "He's almost 27! All our kids are growing so old, especially Lance. Never expected him to move out until he actually got married."

"Mom," Lance complained. Sedna was grinning, taking pleasure from Lance's embarrassment and patting his leg reassuringly.

"It's perfectly okay to live with your parents, baby! Honestly, I think your siblings were too hasty to move out. Nothing wrong with staying close to home."

"I'm 21, mom; I'm not a baby." Sedna smiled like that was the cutest thing he had ever said, and she wasn't the only one laughing at the blush creeping on Lance's face.

"When you get around my age, 21 is very young!" She sighed, probably reminiscing to when she was 21. She didn't think too long and turned to look at Keith with a playful smile. Her eyes were still sharp, almost boring into his soul, but Keith felt himself start to relax around her.

"And how did you two meet? Was it love at first sight? Ah, I can remember the first time I saw your father, Lance; it was a magical day." Lance and Keith trade knowing looks, and it was almost funny to them. Love at first sight? Hardly.

"Um, we were in the same Garrison classes," Keith answered. He phrased it carefully so as not to give himself away that he was the same Keith that Lance had first told her about. Sedna looked a little a taken back.

"Garrison? So you must be an exceptionally skilled bender," Keith rubbed the back of his neck shyly. Normally being called a great bender wasn't something he would shy away from, but it was Sedna, Lance's mother. The woman who looked like she could murder people with her glares, but instead kills them with kindness.

"I wouldn't say exceptionally skilled," he said slowly. Sedna saw right through him and gave him a sly smile. Keith was at a loss at what to do; it was the same smile Lance had.

"Don't be modest; I'm sure you're quite the bender. Are you a shower bender?" Keith wondered what he should tell her. Garrison wasn't strictly a show-bending school, but it was where all show-benders went. Keith going to learn basic bending was sort of like going to a medical school to become a lawyer. He had only gone in the first place because he had gotten the scholarship for it.

"Well, not exactly. I guess I'm just not that skilled when it comes to rhythm and dance? I'm not sure how to explain it." Sedna shook her head as if she needed no explanation.

"No no, I understand. I've been to every one of Lance's shows. It's more of a waterbending sport anywho. Firebenders are for more power jobs like detective. Or maybe acting; have you thought about that?" Keith wasn't sure how Sedna jumped from detective to acting. Keith briefly remembered the movie from last night with Ben Afflect and how horribly cheesy it was.

"I was thinking more along the lines of..." What could he say? He didn't have any plans for the future. He'd continue pro-bending as long as he needed to and scrape by as he always has.

"Keith is thinking about joining the military!" Lance said hurriedly. "You know, with the tanks and uh... Planes? And boats, too!" Keith glared at Lance. If Sedna noticed, she didn't show it.

"Military is a great path. Why, my husband was in the Water Tribe Navy! Natural seaman by heart," she enthused. Keith nodded and pretended to be following along. When Sedna left he was going to lock Lance in the fridge, mark his words... "And things are getting so scary these days. Can you believe these Galra are targeting waterbenders so heavily? You have to be careful on what streets you walk by yourself."

Keith could appreciate small talk. It was simple and it was a nice medium between awkward silence and awkward conversation. So he could understand why Sedna was talking so animately about the news. But Keith didn't really like to talk about the Galra. He couldn't exactly tell Sedna to stop talking; Lance would never forgive him. So he blocked her out as much as possible. There was a difference between seeing the Galra on the news and having your boyfriend's mother talk to you about it like you didn't know first hand what they were capable of. Just hearing Galra made Keith furious.

"But we're hoping this all blows over. You know, back when your grandmother was a little girl, she grew up in something called the non-bending revolution. Benders and non-benders alike were scared to death to even walk out on the streets! But the Avatar stopped that. She was a great Avatar, but I can only wonder when the new Avatar will reveal themself."

Keith stood up. "Sedna, would you like a snack or drink? We have moon peach juice?" Sedna looked a little surprised at Keith's sudden interjection.

"That'd be lovely, baby, thank you," Keith nodded, trying not blush. She called him baby. Why did she call him baby? Why did he like her calling him that; she wasn't his mother. Did this mean she accepted him? Approved? He hadn't been called baby in an affectionate way since he was an actual baby.

Keith thought about that as he opened the fridge and grabbed the carton of moon juice. He poured three glasses. He trusted himself enough to hold all of them at the same time, and hurried back quickly in case he did drop them.

Keith handed Sedna and Lance their glasses before taking his seat again. "Thank you! Honestly, if only Lance was as chivalrous as you." Lance frowned at her.

"I offered you a drink when you came in."

"You didn't tell me you had moon peach juice." She said into her cup. When she saw Lance's face of disbelief, she broke out into a smile, cupping his jaw like he was still 10 years old and she was trying to wipe a smudge of seaweed broth off his chin. Lance pushed her hand away.

"Mom, I'm not a kid!" Sedna looked a little teary eyed.

"It feels like only yesterday you were in diapers and water bending snow balls," she said breathily. Lance wore diapers when he was five? "You'd think after three kids moved out I'd be used to this, but I'm not. Your brothers and sister never visit me anymore. They're running all over the globe, but it's always better to stay close to home." Lance pursed his lips. He obviously had a weakness for his parents because eventually he sighed.

"I already promised to spend every weekend with you," He said, defeated. "But technically Saturday is date-night, so I gotta divide my time." Date night? Was Lance talking about their 'out on the towns' with Hunk, Shay, and Pidge? Keith wouldn't really consider those dates.

"You didn't visit me last weekend," Sedna argued.

"I only moved out two weeks ago." Sedna pursed her lips, not buying that excuse. She drank from her cup once more.

"Anyways, I stopped by to see how you were doing. Not driving Keith crazy, I hope," Sedna said. Lance pointed at her and looked at her with his 'oh you would not believe what he has done to me' face. Keith frowned in confusion. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to Lance.

Sedna didn't ask further for this, only chuckling to herself. She set her empty glass on the counter, turning her body to face Lance. "I also came to you to tell you that the council is reconvening. Your father is planning on going back North with Iluak and Hahn, and he was hoping you'd join him."

Lance looked surprised. "Me? Travel with him? Why?" Sedna looked down at her hands and sighed.

"With the Galra attacking waterbenders, the North is preparing all defenses. Word is leaking of some kind of attack, and if it's going to be in the capital, King Alfor wants to have the entire council ready to take action," she said with a tired voice, as if she had been thinking so heavily on the subject that it exhausted her.

"He never asked me to go before," Lance said uneasily. Keith wasn't sure what was happening between the two, and he looked to Lance to give him a clue or explanation, but Lance was too concentrated on his mother.

"You were always training in Garrison, and so we never asked. But if you've mastered waterbending; you know what that means. A master bender on the council isn't very common, and that makes your presence on the council apposite." Sedna looked like she was set against the idea, but she said it encouragingly as well.

"I don't know, mom; I feel a little too young to be making those kind of decisions," Lance admitted. Keith noticed him looking flustered, but he was smiling as if the very idea of being on whatever that council was very tempting.

"They are going to throw a huge party; your father told me to tell you that specifically," Sedna said with a quirky smile. Lance returned the smile, and it was like the two were sharing an inside joke.

"I'll try and think about it, but for now my answer is no."

"I hoped you would say that," Sedna admitted. "Honestly, this whole council thing is so out-dated. And you're barley older than a child; wisdom comes with age, darling." Lance brushed off the hand reaching to pinch his nose.

"Then you must be plenty wise," he cracked. Sedna did not appreciate the joke and swatted his head lightly. It was all playful, but she still chewed him out for calling her old.

Keith didn't say anything and looked on at the pair. Maybe he should call his mother tonight. It's been awhile since he has talked to her, and watching Lance being poked and prodded with his mother's overzealous questions made Keith a little homesick. Republic City was Keith's home, but he had no family left in it, and that could get down on even the most jaded people after awhile.

 

Lance's mom ended up staying for another hour after their living room meeting. Keith tried his best to answer as politely as possible, but after awhile he excused himself with the excuse of washing their empty cups.

Keith came to see how amazing Sedna was. She was probably the opposite of what Keith had first expected a little over an hour ago. Her sense of humor consisted of babying Lance and retelling his embarrassing stories (going as far as when Lance accidentally broke his wrist in 10th grade when he tried to trip his siblings and failed completely). She was extremely observant to a fault, but she was playful with what she saw. And Keith was willing to bet his entire life savings she knew all about the scars on Lance's wrists, and he wondered if she had ever brought them up.

Sedna was also overly eager to ask questions about Lance and Keith's relationship, questions that Lance and Keith had no answers to. She always knew Lance didn't like just girls ("you don't live with your son for 21 years without noticing things like this"), but Keith knew that it was really because she had supernatural powers than gave her insight to things she probably shouldn't have known. She also asked Keith a ton of questions about Lance, and Keith was extremely delighted at all the information she was giving him as they swapped stories of Lance being the stubborn ass that he was.

"Did you know we used to attend a waterbending club with Lance when he was about 8 years old, and he challenged another girl to a duel. He was sore for a week. He refused to go back, but after awhile he ended up sending her flowers every time he went to a meeting until he stopped going. He was always such a romanic, but he never really got the girls. He was a little Romeo, this one." Keith smiled slyly at Lance from over the kitchen counter. That sure sounded like Lance. Did he have a soft spot for people who kicked his butt? Despite this friendly-nature thought, Keith's face twisted involuntarily and he felt slightly sick. He shouldn't be joking about that fight; it wasn't right.

He turned away to face the fridge, hoping no one had seen him.

"Flowers every meeting, huh? Wow, I wouldn't mind that treatment," he said slowly. Sedna couldn't have found this any cuter. She was grinning broadly at Lance, and Keith could feel the pride radiating off of her smile from all the way in the kitchen.

"Okay, but I always got the flowers last minuet from the library's garden. I'd be happy to pick you some cactus flowers from the balcony, Keith, if that's what you really want," Lance offered.

"Smartass," Keith accused. Lance laughed

"Well, I should get going!" Sedna then announced, standing up and grabbing her purse. "I wanted to grab a muffin from the bakery down the street. Can you believe they close at 2pm? I've never heard of a store closing so soon!"

"It's Sunday, mom. They're probably closed even earlier." Sedna made a sour face as if the thought of early closing bakeries made her bitterly confused. Lance walked her to the door, and Keith followed him after toweling off his wet hands.

"Then I'd better hurry; I promised your sisters I'd pick them up some ice coffee. It was so nice to see you again, darling. Visit me soon," Sedna said, poking Lance's nose lightly. "And it was very nice to meet Keith! Honestly, when Lance first told me about you, I knew he was over-reacting. You are such a nice young man, and Lance couldn't have found a better roomate and boyfriend." Keith stared at her blankly; his mouth hung open silently. He was speechless. She knew. Probably the entire time. She knew that Lance was dating the same Keith he once bad-mouthed to everyone in his family.

"W-wait, you knew?" Lance asked. "That... uh..." He trailed off quietly. Keith glared at him. What had he been telling his mother? He looked extremely red and embarrassed, like his fingers were caught in a chinese trap and he didn't know how to get them out. Keith once again promised himself to throw Lance in the freezer and lock it shut.

"Honey, I wasn't born yesterday," Sedna laughed. She gave Lance a big hug, and Keith received one as well. She had a soft body, one Keith would expect came with many years of parenting and hundreds of hugs. She was also warm, a stark difference from her son. Keith wasn't sure what to do, so he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and tried to return the hug. Sedna pulled away and beamed at him. Again, Keith was caught by her eyes. Even when she was smiling she looked like she was figuring out ways to destroy Keith from the inside out. "I love you, Lance, and remember to pop in every once in awhile! The house is so lonely without our little waterbender."

Lance muttered a "Yeah, yeah, love you, too."

Sedna looked at Keith. "Thank you for letting him live in your home! And thank you for the moon juice; it was delicious." Keith nodded in acknowledgement. He wanted to say 'no problem, come anytime,' but he was scared that she would see through this or worse, take him up on that offer. Sedna was amazing; Keith could admit that. But she was also a little off-putting, and that made Keith especially uneasy.

Lance opened the door, and Sedna kissed him on the cheek before walking out and waving. Lance waved back and slowly closed the door. When it was finally closed, Lance threw his back against the door and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Oh my god," he said simply. "That... That was—" he cut himself off with a deep breath. He looked up at Keith, and Keith saw how happy he was. He had a wide open smile, and his eyes were lit up brightly. It was endearing, but Keith was still a little more than ticked off.

"What exactly did you tell her about me?" Keith demanded immediately, hands on his hips condescendingly. He was glad Lance was happy, but he dug this mess of a hole for himself, and Keith intended on burying him there.

"Oh, uh... You know," Keith gave him a look that told Lance he most certainly did not know. Lance bit his lip nervously. "I told her that you were a self-centered lazy jerk from the fire nation who didn't know how to control himself." Okay, Keith will admit that half of that was correct, but he was actively working on that. The other part was completely uncalled for. And Keith wasn't even from the fire nation!

Keith sighed tiredly. He really couldn't catch a break. Honestly, if Lance didn't have such a big mouth... Well if he didn't, Keith knew that in some weird way they never would have became friends and eventually boyfriends.

"I swear I feel twenty years older around you," Keith said flatly.

"Wow! That's funny, Hunk says the same thing," Lance replied in feigned cheerfulness. Keith wondered how Hunk didn't have any gray hairs after growing up with Lance. "But I mean, you both still hang out with me, so it can't be all that bad." He had a point.

"Yeah, well, don't be too sure," Keith said, giving his hand to Lance to hoist him up. "And we have one week till our next competition. We need to train today, no messing around."

"When have I ever messed around during training?" Keith choose not to answer this. He noticed that Lance was still holding his hand. It was a nice feeling, and Keith was glad that Lance hadn't let go. Keith wasn't planning on letting go, either.

Keith was never the kind of person into hand holding. He had sweaty palms and awkward fingers, so hand holding was nothing he sought after. But nothing, and Keith was sure of this one fact, was better than holding Lance's hand. Their hands were still clumsy together, but they fitted perfectly within each other. It would only take a little practice before Keith could find Lance's hand as familiar as his own.

"Thank you," Lance said breathlessly. Keith looked up from their eyes. He knew he wasn't talking about Keith holding his hand, even though Keith felt like saying thank you for being able to do so. "I'm so glad... She really likes you, Keith. Almost as much as I like you."

Keith felt a slight smile on his lips. He nodded. Was is too soon to say he'd do anything for Lance? That he'd probably die if it kept Lance safe? He felt like he would do anything for him. And meeting his mother was a simple task when Keith sought out the best for what their relationship would evolve to be.

"Of course," was all Keith said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My journalism class has influenced my writing too much. The mistakes are irreversible. 
> 
> Also, last chapter I have actually done, but the next is already in the works, so updates are hecka slow and school is killing me

Lance looked out at the pro-bending arena with an arm full of fire gummies and cavehoppers. This was the first time Lance had watched a pro-bending tournament since Keith's last match with the old Red Panther-Lions. He had almost forgotten how much more fun it was to watch than be in a match. Up here in the balcony, Lance could chat with people, eat snacks, and watch a generally entertaining game. Down there on the platform, Lance would be sweating, panting, and be bombarded with rocks, fire, and water.

Yeah, watching games was a whole lot nicer, and it was even better when Lance was surrounded by friends. On his left side, Pidge was jumping up and down with the other fans, screaming obscenities. They liked to shout what was happening into Lance's ear. They were like Lance's own personal commentator. Pidge also had a great sense of humor, albeit dark and a little dirty. Pidge always took pride in their sense of humor, so Lance tended to just go along with whatever Pidge was doing. It added a fresh outlook on bending, so Lance couldn't really bring himself to complain.

Lance made sure to get front seats this time. He and Pidge had a habit of running up the railings of the audience seats which was apparently against the rules (bullshit rules, if you asked Lance). The front seats weren't as cool as the break room. Now the view from there was simply breath taking, but Lance felt more... Normal among the crowd. Yeah, being a pro-bender was cool, but being one face of thousands just enjoying a match was like taking a break from being Lance was relaxing. Lance certainly didn't have a hard life, but with the Galra attack a week ago, he and Keith going from nearly kissing to fighting to dating, and the excessive training... Well Lance was glad to be on the safer side of things. This hour where he could just cheer on a friend and take a break was something he really needed.

The whole point of coming to this match was to watch Yukine. Lance wanted to be supportive. She was his friend, after all. And getting Hunk and Pidge to come along wasn't very hard. Pidge was pro-bending fan #1, and Hunk liked to spend time with them (Lance was confused why because the majority of Hunk's time was spent fretting over Pidge and Lance breaking every rule and trying not to get kicked out of the arena).

But Keith was another story. He had only come along with the promise that they would also be scooping out next week's competition. Keith wasn't a fan of pro-bending. He said something about it being more of a job than a passion, which made Lance more than skeptical. But with the number of teams dwindling quickly, Keith saw this as a chance to gain an upper hand, another form of training.

Lance realized then when Keith told him his real intentions that he'd eventually come to face off against Yukine and her team. The very match they were watching could be the one that determined if Yukine was going to continue on or stop in the season. She would have one match after this, and Lance didn't want to sound cocky, but there was no way Yukine and her team could beat his. He could tell just by watching their fight.

Yukine was a skilled bender, as were her teammates, but they didn't work together. They were all independent, facing off their opposers as if it were a one on one match. If one of Yukine's teammates were hit into another zone, she wouldn't even glance at them or heistate. Her teammates seemed to be in agreement on this, and almost ignored each other completely. This flaw would have been her team's entire downfall if Yukine wasn't so skilled. She was quick like a striking snake, and all of her moves were carried by immense power. She'd lean back and shove the water forcefully with her fist. If you got hit anywhere with that type of force, you'd be knocked back a zone or two. But Yukine didn't work well with her teammates. They got in her way or she messed up their shots, and together they were all too clusmy.

Lance remembered when he first met Yukine. She was alone in the gym, and Lance never realized until now how strange it was that she was training by herself. The only other person Lance knew who did that was Keith, and Keith wasn't exactly a team player, either. 

But the difference between Keith and Yukine was that Keith changed. He maybe not be the most open person, but he trusted Lance and Hunk, and he worked with them. Yukine didn't even talk to her team members. Keith was capable of change, and that was one of the few things that separated the two of them.

Yukine moves were flawed, but the power she had was awing. Lance watched her, a hundred feet away, and he could see the clumsiness in her footing. She was probably like him, not at all used to the 'quick or hit' aspects of pro-bending. It just wasn't waterbender style to move so quickly. But the way she modified her style was simply amazing. She was like a tank, practically unmovable, stuck, and a hard-hitter. Lance didn't think anything could be more painful than getting socked in the jaw by Yukine. She took "boxing" style to a whole new level, and she was terrifying.

Lance watched intensely with his breath held. He could feel everyone, even Keith, watching in anticipation. Yukine had just knocked out the opposing firebender into zone three. Lance noticed how still the firebender was. It was a clear knock-out, and the bender wasn't getting up anytime soon. It had only taken one hard hit to send him down. Lance swallowed thickly.

Yukine moved like a master. A shot of water was hurled as her, and with her legs crossed and fingers out-stretched in front of her face, she managed to stop the blast in her palm. The shot exploded, enveloping her in a drizzle of water. Lance recognized that move. It was a hybrid of firebending and watering bending! She modified a firebending move to her waterbending. Lance watched her with extreme intent. Whatever Yukine lacked in team dependability she made up for in sheer talent and hard-work. Not only was that move powerful and effective, Lance was pretty sure that it would have won him first place in a show-bending tournament. It was beautiful and intimidating in so many ways.

Lance didn't take his eyes off of the match as he reached for another fire gummy. He frowned when his fingers touched nothing but the bottom of the candy box. He looked down. The entire box was empty! But he hadn't even eaten that much, how cou—

Lance looked up and locked eyes with Keith. The guilt was all right there; his eyes were evidence enough. Keith had eaten all of his fire gummies! Lance could deal with a lot when it came with Keith. He had a high tolerance of people he liked. Lance would quit every dream school, join everyone of Keith's teams, and forgive Keith for any and all mistakes, but Lance needed to draw the line somewhere. Eating all of his candy was that line.

"Y-you," Lance said in disbelief. "You ate all my fire gummies!" Keith opened his mouth to say something, but he knew he had no defense.

"I caught you red handed! Fire handed... Fire... gummy hand—You ate all my gummies! I don't have to make a clever metaphor for you; I'm the victim."

"Calm down; I'll buy you another box," Keith told him. "Besides, they weren't even that good." Lance dead-panned. If they weren't good, why'd he eat them all?

"You guys fight like a pair of pygmy pumas. Lance, you still have your cavehoppers; just eat those," Hunk said from next to Keith. He wasn't looking directly at them; his eyes were still glued onto the match below them to really care about the injustices that have just gone down right next to him.

"Just eat cavehoppers, sure, yeah, whatever," Lance mumbled. He leaned back in his chair and glanced at Keith again. Keith was also leaning back, and he had his feet propped up on the railing of the balconies. He probably couldn't even see the match.

Lance frowned in thought and put his feet up at well. There was no possible way for him to see the match and lounge like this. The railing was solid rock and too high. Unless Keith had x-ray vision, he'd be able to see diddly-squat. So why was Keith here if not to scoop out their next opponents?

Lance glanced at Keith's legs. While Keith was shorter than Lance, his legs were longer. Lance could tell because he didn't have to sloop down in his seat as much as Lance did. Lance liked knowing this fact about Keith. It wasn't particularly useful, but trivia never is. Lance had begun compiling a book of Keith-Trivia in his mind. They weren't organized, and most were silly. Keith liked spicy food; he had long legs; his brother used to be a cop; he had an unjustified dislike for the movies Shrek and Shrek 2; he liked having his hair groomed.

The man may have eaten all his fire gummies, but Lance was pretty sure he loved this anarchist. And he also loved knowing stupid things about Keith. Because they weren't actually stupid. They were great things that Lance knew he was going to think about for the rest of the day. The fact that he kept finding out small things about Keith and falling in love with them irritated Lance. Who did Keith think he was waltzing into his life and being all cute and whatever? No matter how cute he thought he was, it didn't give him the right to eat his damn fire gummies.

Goddammit, Lance was going to drive away his sanity thinking about Keith.

"Did you see that?!" Pidge suddenly screamed. Lance sat up immediately, and Keith did as well. Lance looked at the match, not really regretting having turned away, but still interested in what had suddenly riled the entire audience into a scream of cheering and a chorus of booing. Lance's eyes moved quickly to survey the scene.

Yukine was suddenly two zone back and looking sore. Her helmet was crooked, and she held her side in pain, looking at the source of her discomfort. Lance listened for the commentator to recap what had just happened as Yukine resumed fighting with only one hand and minimum movement.

"A double-attack! A head shot by the Badger-Mole's waterbender, Ashuna! Followed by a side attacked by earthbende—AND YUKINE IS HIT AGAIN!" The announcer screamed suddenly.

Lance watched as Yukine, too hurt to move around and dodge attacks properly, was forced on the defensive, creating shields of water. But she received no help from her teammates, and a heavy shot to the chest cause Yukine to stumble backwards into zone three.

"Yukine!" Lance screamed, cupping his hands around his mouth. "You can do it! Just keep it in a draw!" The match was still a ways from ending. Lance knew first hand that a minute felt like an hour and that holding out was a lot harder than what most people thought it was. Yukine looked injured, but if she and her teammates held out, they might be able to make a come back with a draw.

"She can't hear you, stop screaming so loudly," Keith told him bitterly. Lance frowned at him. Honestly, Lance couldn't understand why Keith didn't like Yukine. She was so nice, but Keith just didn't want anything to do with her. Having his own space was fine, but Lance didn't know why Keith was being such a Boar-Q-Pine about it.

Before Lance could say anything, Pidge started shaking him violently, pointing at the match with enough force to rattle Lance's teeth out of his mouth. Lance could see why they were so excited, even through his now dizzy vision.

Yukine was no longer under heavy fire, but she wasn't looking too good. She could barley attack, and if she did, her attempts were spaced apart and desperate. She clutched at her side. She was looking at the floor, and Lance watched her anxiously. _She had to win! She could do it!_

Yukine brought her hand up, and a stream of water followed her. Just as she did, the opposing waterbender hit the Earthbender on Yukine's team. The blast was so forcefully it made Lance wince. The earthbender stumbled back into Yukine, sending them both over the edge and into the pool of water.

Lance's face fell when he saw Yukine splash helplessly into the dark green water; there was an audible smack echoing his ears that made his teeth ache even more than Pidge's shaking. He felt like he had bitten into extremely cold ice cream, and he body went numb in the heat of the moment.

There was still time, though! Another forty seconds left. Yukine's firebender was still in the match.

But if the Badger-Moles managed to knock out the remaining firebender, the match was over and Yukine will have lost. No round two and no draws. Even if their team managed to hold out, Yukine was too hurt for another round. They'd have no replacement.

Lance watched the remaining firebender anxiously.

"I don't want to be the debbie downer, Lance, but I think Yukine is going to lose," Keith said slowly. It did not sound condescending. It sounded as if Keith were advising him to start taking notes now because this was the team they were facing. But Lance didn't like Keith telling him that. There was no sure way of knowing. The opposing team was out their firebender. A turn around match wasn't exactly unheard of. Maybe Yukine's firebender could force the other two into a knock out?

The firebender wasn't as skilled as Yukine, but he sure did pack a punch. He was swift and flexible. His attacks were large and strong. His plumes of fire scorched the opponents, trying to force them back. His legs and arms worked in tandem, and the rapidness was overwhelming. Lance could almost imagine the heat of his flames on his own face.

But the firebender's opponents were equally skilled, and there were two of them. They dodged his attacks easily; his moves were too straight forward and predictable to land any effective hits, and hit opponents could cut through his walls of fire with their bending as easily as cutting cheesecake.

The firebender dodged a waterbending headshot. But the compeition was two on one, and the opposing earthbender was sending her discs faster than the firebender could dodge.

Lance saw the firebender's realization. He was fighting on borrowed time; he and his team had clearly lost the match. An earthbending disc was hurled straight at him, and in a last ditch effort, the firebender ignited his fist and punched the disc like he was trying to smash it out of his way. Lance winced at the impact. Earthbending discs were known to break after hard hits, but the disc that the firebender tried to thwart didn't even crack. The firebender's hand certainly did.

Classic hothead move. Lance would bet serious money that Keith would have done the same. He knew from experience that doing something like that firebender had pulled had a lot less to do with strategy than pure anger, and undisciplined firebenders usually learned bending through anger. But Keith was the most disciplined firebender Lance knew and even he was not above futile punching. Trying to knock a disc out the air was something incredibly difficult for non-earthbenders, and too risky to try (unless you're too impulsive to think about the consequences).

The disc ricocheted off of the firebender's hand, spinning violently off the side of the arena. Lance winced when he heard the firebender howl in pain before another shot sent him two zones back. He should just save himself the trouble and jump off. Lance could only imagine the amount of pain he was in.

"That looks really bad," Keith said lowly with a frown. "He needs to call it now, or he might not be able to play next Monday."

"Waterbending can heal broken bones. I'm more concerned for Yukine. Internal injuries are impossible to heal," Lance told him. They both sat forward, and Lance was gripping the railing desperately. He honestly had thought Yukine would win. Does this mean she was his next opponent? Was he ready for that?

"Bruises can be healed, but sometimes rest is the only way to heal injuries. Hopefully their uniforms absorbed most of the impact." He added.

"Hopefully?" Keith asked. "But they're our new opponents. If Yukine can't participate, you don't have to fight her. Isn't that what you want?" Lance looked at Keith and wondered if what he said is what he truly meant. Was he asking if Lance was glad he didn't have to fight Yukine and there'd be no hard feelings in their friendship? Or was Keith asking him why he wasn't glad that their opponents had basically been forced to withdraw from the season?

Lance really hoped Keith had meant the first one. He knew Keith was competitive and didn't like Yukine, but hoping for his opponents to be so injured that they would have to quit a season was very unlike Keith. Keith liked things to be fair. At least, Lance thought so.

"If they drop out, then you guys won't even play next Monday," Pidge said. "I hate to be that type of person, but Yukine dropping out is really good for you, Lance." Lance couldn't believe what they were saying.

"I liked her, too, but it means we get an additional two weeks to train!" Hunk added. Lance glared at all of them, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You guys are unbelievable! Do you really lack that much faith in our own skills that you'd stoop to hoping our opponents just drop out? What about the championships? Maybe we should hope everyone else drops out, too, until we're the very last team."

"You know that's not what we're saying," Keith told him, reaching for his shoulder. Lance shrugged it off and pretended not to see the hurt in Keith's eyes. It didn't matter anyways because Keith's hurt quickly turned to confusion and then frustration.

"Well, that's what I'm hearing." Lance watched as the firebender was hit a final time and thrown off the arena platform. He stood up as the rest of the audience screamed and cheered.

Lance walked away from his friends, not looking at them as he did. He walked up the stairs to the nearest exit as the new teams took to the stage.

Lance was always amazed by how muffled the screaming could be when the exit doors were closed. It was like distant thunder that had long since passed, and it gave his ears a nice break.

Lance turned down the hall to a door labeled 'restricted access'. Restricted his butt; if he wanted to see Yukine then he was going to see her.

Honestly, he couldn't believe the audacity of his friends. He had actually thought they were getting along with her. Lance knew that pro-benders were competitive; he was, too! But this was taking it too far. It was one step below sabotage: hoping for sabotage.

Lance walked down the hall, passing the gym and numerous doors that he had no clue led to. He'd probably check it out one day if he was bored enough, but he knew where he was going right now and curiosity wasn't going to stop him.

It didn't take too long to get to the viewing room, or break room as Lance liked to call it. It was where Pro-Benders got suited up before their competitions and where they rested before and after matches.

Lance opened the door without knocking, something he realized only later might have been perceived as rude.

Yukine was taking off her helmet and was hid behind her locker door when she heard the wooden door swing open. "Lance?" She asked, looking over the locker door. "What are you doing here?"

Lance noticed the way she was holding her side. He had originally come to talk to her. About what? Well, he hadn't figured that part out yet. But when he saw her continually holding her side, he offered to help her instead of talking.

"You're hurt. Maybe I can help?" Yukine looked at him with a straight face for a long moment. She then turned to her teammates, both beaten up and still in uniform. A healer was already in the room, finishing up with the firebender's hand.

They looked back at her, and Lance felt a little awkward among them. They had a silent conversation, and it didn't look too friendly. It was like they were having a mental argument. _We're going to discuss tonight later_ was what Lance was hearing. _E_ ventually, Yukine looked back to Lance and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Yeah, thanks," she removed the rest of her padding, wincing as she did. Lance helped her to the bench. When he assured the other healer that he could handle it, the healer gave Lance their bucket of water and left the room to tend to the other team.

Lance bended the water out of the bucket and onto Yukine's side, pressing his hands to the puddle. Under his hands, the water glowed a bright crystal blue, and Yukine hissed through her teeth before relaxing her tensed body.

"That feels good," she sighed, closing her eyes. Lance nodded. Waterbending acted as a conductor for chi-bending, and nothing felt better than redirected chi. Sorta like when someone cracks your back for you. It was a light and loose feeling. It was universally perceived as a good feeling. Some people even went as far as spa treatments to redirect chi and release stress, but Lance knew that was actually a scam. The only thing waterbending did was speed up the healing process, and stress was often too internalized.

Lance did as much as he could before he pulled the water away, dumping it back into the bucket. "This is the best that can be done, sorry. If you rest a few days, you'll be ready for next week's match." Yukine rolled her right shoulder, wincing at the soreness.

"Right, next week..." She said slowly. Lance frowned at her. He hoped she wasn't going to say what he thought she was going to say. "I might just withdraw from the season. Zhen is pretty beaten up, and I'm not sure if he wants to continue. I'm not sure _I_ want to continue." She looked down and sighed.

"What do you mean? You can't withdraw! You've trained too hard; you only have two more matches and then you'll have the best chance of getting into the championship!" Yukine laughed dryly.

"Shouldn't you be happy? If we withdraw then you only have two matches left. You'll have an even better chance at championship," Lance huffed stray whiffs of hair out of his eyes.

"Pro-bending isn't about winning. It's about team work and bending. Who cares if you win or lose. It's fun to just be able to fight with your friends. That's what matters most."

"You may be close with your team, but on my team, that's not how we do things," Lance was a taken back by how Yukine said this. It was like she was challenging him, and he felt uneasy. Had he offended her? He didn't think what he had said was in any way wrong. "But it doesn't surprise me. You seem like the type." 

Lance refused to ask her what type she was referring to. He wrote her crabbiness off as frustration for losing the match. Besides, he didn't want to get in a fight with her, and knowing him, a fight would ensure if Lance didn't keep quiet.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is this: just bend to bend. That's it. When I go down there, it's not to win. I don't care about whatever goes on in the arena. I care about making him happy." Lance hadn't even noticed what he said, and Yukine looked up at him to study him curiously. It took Lance a few moments to realize what he had just admitted to her, and his face started to burn when he finally did. Oh jeez, that jerk was even in his subconscious?

"Him?" Yukine asked. Lance shifted uncomfortably and nodded. "The firebender?" She said it like it was the weirdest thing Lance could have ever admitted to. He agreed that to anyone else Keith and his relationship seemed a little... Oversimplified and zealous, but it really wasn't. Lance realized he often got on Keith's nerves, and Keith often ignored Lance whenever he got this way, but the fact of the matter was that Lance and Keith's relationship was almost too complicated. Lance constantly feared their relationship. Because of that, they had taken their romance to a new level and made it extremely cautious.

"His name is Keith. I only do this for him. I mean, at first it was because I wanted to know what pro-bending was about. I wanted to learn how to fight, but now..." Lance thought back to when he quit Garrison. He had told himself he gave up everything—everything he had ever loved— for Keith because he made a promise. But Lance knew that wasn't true. Maybe he just grew tired of Garrison and shows. It was hard to say. Shows were Lance's passion. He was going to eventually return to them, that was his plan. So why did he give it all up? Just to make Keith happy? He would have been internationally famous. He would have been loaded. Set for life, even.

But then Keith with his stupid mullet and his stupid perfect teeth (why did he get 'good genes' while Lance was forced through three years of braces from hell?) and his dumb laugh and his dumbass questions... Where was Lance going with this?

Lance honestly didn't have the strength to fight it. He gave up everything for Keith. It had paid off albeit in a way he had never really expected, but he was still so shocked. Why? Why had he done it? It doesn't make sense.

These past two months were like a dream, and Lance had suddenly woke up.

_Oh my Aang. Son of Ozai. Firelord Iroh._

He was sitting in a pro-bending viewing room. Sitting across from a pro-bender. From his rival! Lance looked up at Yukine. She was looking at him, and she looked as confused as Lance felt.

Lance wiped at his forehead with his bandaged arm. Why was he sweating so much? Why was he having this sudden realization? What the fuck had Keith done to him?

Lance stood up hastily, knocking over the bucket of water. He looked down, suddenly dizzy as if all the blood was draining too quickly from his head. The split water pooled at his shoes as he jumped away from the bench and inched to the door. He wasn't breathing well. "I—sorry! I, uh—I'll be back! Maybe! I mean, I'll text you!" Lance tried to explain to Yukine while he walked towards the door quickly. Yukine's teammates watched Lance like he was a loose tigerdillo, looking at Yukine for an explanation she didn't have.

Lance flung the door open and slammed it shut behind him. Taking a deep breath, he walked down the hall away from the entrance and away from Yukine and Keith. His head was swimming. Was he... Having a mid-life crisis? Right now? Here?

Lance found a quiet corner. Corners were a bit unusual in the arena because it was naturally curved, but this corner was intentional. It squared off the management offices and a business room meant for sorting money and advisements. This was an intentional corner not meant for people like Lance, but for fancy business men with mustaches and dark suits.

Well, not anymore. This was Lance's corner.

Lance slide down the corner and pulled his knees to his chest. _This_. This was good. Yeah, this was a nice place to think. He just needed some space, some time.

Why was he worried? Well, firstly he felt like he suddenly woke up with the realization that his dream wasn't actually a dream, and he was trying to remember what was and was not real. He felt like he had watched himself from far away making his own decisions, and now it was up to him to live with the results. Did Lance like these results? He didn't know. It was so hard to focus.

Lance usually didn't have panic attacks like these in the middle of conversations or matches, but he couldn't exactly tell his brain 'not now, I'm busy gushing about my boyfriend'. That was what he had been doing, right? Talking about Keith?

Lance loved Keith. That was the first thought he sorted. It was the easiest because he had asked and answered it so many times. Two months shouldn't have been adequate time to fall in love with someone, but it was for Lance. Lance had spent nearly every single day with Keith. And now that he lived with Keith, he did spend everyday with him. He moved in with Keith after knowing him only two months? And a majority of that month was spent not talking to each other and Lance staring at scars on arm from when he first confronted Keith, wondering when Keith was coming back to Garrison. He shared a house with Keith. A house that came with bills and responsibilities.

What did Lance know about Keith? He knew Keith wasn't trusting, but he did trust Lance. He trusted Pidge, Hunk, and Shay. He was loyal, but liked his solitary. Lance knew his mother liked Keith. But Lance didn't know Keith's mother. Keith never talked about his older brother. Never talked about his family. Maybe he didn't like his family? Lance wondered about that. Keith wasn't the type to give out his information freely, but had Lance ever even bothered to ask? Did that make him a bad boyfriend? To be okay with the ambiguousness they shared? They didn't even share it. Lance was an open-book, but with Keith he had to acquire a key to unlock his story.

Lance bit his tongue. _Okay_. He knew lots of trivia facts about Keith. He knew Keith from class for the past three years. He was quiet. What Lance had initially thought was grumpiness and irritation was just Keith's normal face. That took awhile to get used to when they first started talking.

Lance cracked a smile. Yeah, Keith's normal face looked like he was thinking about a kid who used to steal his bike and return it before they could get in trouble. It was a face that was a mix of bitterness and regret. Well, knowing Keith, he probably wouldn't have ever let anyone steal his bike, and Lance came to learn that Keith just had a natural resting-bitch-face.

He knew that Keith never had his bike stolen without even being told (although he was unsure if Keith ever even owned a bike). Keith was impatient, impulsive, and quite literally a hot-head. Nobody would steal his bike. And he also had a lot more self-control than people gave him credit for: Lance knew this, too. Lance thought that maybe he was impatient and irritated with people he didn't know because he was a little scared.

Keith was scared, a lot. It was weird to think of Keith being scared because what was Keith afraid of? Lance knew what he was afraid of, but with Keith, there was nothing Lance could think he was scared of. Keith presented himself as strong. His feelings were jaded and highly defended. But why?

Lance looked down at his toes. They were covered by his shoes, and they were big enough that he could still wiggle them. He wasn't getting a lot of thinking done. He tended to either confuse himself even more or get distracted, and he wasn't sure what he was doing right now. He didn't want to be in this corner, but he didn't want to leave either. He didn't want to do anything, but he wasn't okay with not doing anything. What he really wanted was a big hug from his mom, and maybe a cup of hot chocolate specifically warmed up for him by Keith. Lance associated warmth with happiness which was ironic as it was his ice-bending that began the chain of events that led Lance to being so happy.

"Lance?" Lance frowned. That was his name. But who the hell would he looking for him here? He looked up and turned his head to peer down the hall.

"Keith? What are you doing here?" He asked. Keith's face went slack, and he managed a lazy smile. He walked up next to Lance, sitting down. He was far away enough that Lance didn't feel pinned in his corner, and he was glad Keith knew him well enough to know when he wanted to be close to Keith and when he needed space.

"I've been looking for you everywhere. Yukine said you flipped out in the break room and ran off," Lance blushed in embarrassment, looking away. He wondered what she must have thought of him, running off like he realized he had left his car running or the oven on. She probably thought he lost a few screws in his head, and she wouldn't be wrong.

"I just got... Overwhelmed," Lance said simply. "It's weird."

"What is?" Keith asked softly.

"Being overwhelmed! Normally it's people being overwhelmed by how awesome I am, not the other way around." Keith pursed his lips. "I'm serious!" In a way, Lance was. He didn't like this feeling of being overwhelmed by how much of a mess he was.

"I thought you were upset about what I said about Yukine," Keith told him. He lifted his knee and set his arm on it, looking down the hall at nothing specifically. "I wanted to say sorry."

"Yeah, well, you don't have to. Yukine is withdrawing. I'm the only one who actually saw that as a problem. Maybe you guys are right," Lance told him, sighing loudly to try and take the uneasiness away.

"No, you were right. It isn't right to hope our opponents get too hurt to fight." Lance smiled at Keith smugly.

"Say that again!" He said loudly. Keith looked at him in the corner of his eye like Lance had really lost it.

"Say what?"

"Say I'm right." Keith playfully shoved Lance. Lance pursed his lips to stop from smiling. Keith admitting Lance was right was a big deal for Lance. "Ah, whatever, as long as you remember this; I'm content with your apology."

Neither of them spoke after this. Lance didn't find the silence awkward, but it was clear Keith wasn't sure what to do with himself. Eventually he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box. Holy shit, was Keith purposing? They have been dating less than a week! Lance was pretty sure 'no' was the only thing he could manage.

"Here." They were fire gummies. Huh.

"Oh. Thanks," did Keith think he was still hung up on the fire gummies? The gesture wasn't unwarranted, and Lance appreciated it, but it wasn't necessary. "Where's Pidge and Hunk?" Lance felt bad. He came to have fun with them and stormed off half way through the game.

"They're still watching the match." Lance frowned. He wondered what match. There weren't many seasonal matches left, so maybe they were starting championships already.

Lance opened the box and scooted closer to Keith. "Don't eat them all," he told him, giving him to box and taking one quickly. Keith shrugged and took a handful. A barbaric way to eat candy, but Lance didn't judge him too much.

"You know," Lance said in between bites. "It's kind of cool to be in the arena when it's so empty." Keith looked at him, puzzled. Lance took the box and ate another gummy.

"We're always alone in the arena; what are you talking about?" Keith asked. Lance sat forward and gestured wildly with the box, spilling a few of the jelly beans on the floor.

"Like empty! No one here. We're... Alone." Lance hoped Keith was pretending to be this oblivious.

"We live together? We're always alone?" Lance just sighed and leaned back against the wall. What he was trying to get at was to make Keith scoot closer so that Lance could lean against his shoulder. The "just you and me" always worked in the movies. But then again, Keith never did watch movies, did he?

Lance still felt extremely uncomfortable with showing affection in public, and this would be their only chance for the next hour to be alone. So he wanted to make a move fast. He wasn't sure what compelled him to try and move closer to Keith, but maybe it had a lot to do with the physical intimacy that Lance required in his life to be happy.

Honestly, Lance was going to have to do this himself, wasn't he? "You have something on your face."

Keith reached up and touched his chin, looking at him. "What? Where?" He cocked his head questioning, and Lance spotted an opening to strike. Lance turned his body towards Keith and leaned close, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. His heart hammered as he left his lips to linger for only a short second.

Kissing on the mouth was terrifying, and kissing on the cheek was only slightly less terrifying. But Lance really liked this. It was short and clean. No spit; no teeth; no accidental nose butting. Yeah, Lance liked this a lot. And Keith had really soft cheeks as well, covered in peach fuzz and small dark freckles. Keith didn't exactly smell like daisies or Old Spice, but he had a natural smell to him that Lance was subconsciously drawn towards.

But the kiss only lasted three seconds, and Lance spun back so fast he nearly smashed his head against the wall. He was blushing hard and noticed how quiet Keith was. He must have sounded loud because he was breathing so hard he couldn't even hear his pounding heart, and to distract himself, he fidgeted with his shoes by tapping them. So much noise in one place was meant to distract Lance, but it wasn't working very well. He scooted away as Keith's fingers moved slowly to touch his cheek, and Lance bit his lip nervously.

That was the first time he had ever kissed someone's cheek who wasn't his family, but platonic and romantic kisses were so different. When he was younger, Lance loved to pepper his younger sisters in kisses and make them squirm. They were always quick, ticklish, and light. They were exaggerated with loud noises and nose rubs, but kissing Keith was almost exactly the opposite. Despite the kiss being short, Lance could have written an entire textbook on what kissing Keith's cheek was like. The kiss was long, firm, and heavy. It was slow, and Lance could feel the air from his nose warm his own face and probably Keith's as well.

Lance was a good half a foot away from Keith when Keith finally looked at him. Lance almost died instantly. He was already abashed, but seeing Keith be as shocked and coy as Lance was made Lance even more red. Lance felt like he was back in seventh grade, and he couldn't tell if he liked kissing Keith on his face. Well, Lance actually really liked it. But were either of them comfortable with it was Lance's concern.

"I..." Keith began. Lance tried to look him in the eyes. They were dating for christ sakes; why did he feel like he was 12 all of the sudden. "No one has kissed me like that since I was 14."

Well that's even more embarrassing, to say the least. Lance had as much experience in romance as a child, and he had a feeling that the same couldn't be said for Keith.

"S-sorry," he managed. Ah Roku, how could Keith degrade him to this blubbering mess? Lance had spent years mastering the art of feigned confidence and cockiness. This should be nothing! But his heart was beating so hard that he could hear blood in his ears, and he couldn't help but feel self-conscious at his inexperience.

"No, it's not bad!" Keith rushed to assure him. "It's kind of... Sweet."

How much romance could Lance take in a day? Probably one kiss ago would have been a safe estimate. Keith looked at Lance expectingly, like Lance was going to bust out some smooth poetry or pick up line, but Lance was as smooth as sandpaper whenever Keith was involved. Keith was his kryptonite, and everyone except Keith knew that.

So instead Lance dumped the rest of the fire gummies in his mouth, nearly choking as he stored them in cheeks to avoid talking. Keith didn't try to conceal his disgust as he watched Lance try and eat half the entire box of candy.

"Quiznack, why are you so awkward?" Lance chewed loudly and shook his head, pointing down to the hall. He managed to swallow some of the gummies, but the sugary spit was making it hard to chew correctly.

"Let's go back," Lance said through balled cheeks, not waiting for Keith's response. Keith rolled his eyes and got up, and they walked back down the hall together. Lance had forgotten the entire point of coming was for him to enjoy a match and cheer on his friends, so he planned on doing just that when he got back to his seat.

When Keith stood up, he held out his hand, looking away. Lance was confused. Did he want more fire gummies? He just saw Lance eat them al—oh.

Lance smiled giddily. _Don't mind if I do_ , he though as he grabbed Keith hand. Keith's hands were stouter than Lance's. They were wide like an Earthbender's, but his fingers were slim like a Firebender. Lance had common water bending hands, slim and thin. It only took a second before Lance found the most perfect way to hold Keith's hand, and he couldn't help smiling like an idiot.

Yeah, these weren't consequences he had to face. He wanted this, and he loved this. It didn't matter how much of Keith Lance knew or how fast they seemed to date. Lance trusted Keith.

"Your hands are sweaty."

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FORGOT TO ADD THIS NOTE
> 
> Okay but like idk what to say other than thank you to everyone who recommends my fic and shares! :') Makes me so happy, thank you so much.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been drowning in homework, someone please save me.
> 
> Also, I know its been like over a week, I'm sorry. But this is 9,000 words so this should last awhile.
> 
> THIS HAS BECOME SO LONG OH MY GOSH LIKE I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE ENDED IT BY NOW AND NOTHING HAS EVEN HAPPENED YET AH

"I don't understand," Hunk said slowly, peering through the bars of a metal cage. "What are we exactly looking for?"

Lance peered around the shelf he was behind. "A mascot!" He enthused and went back to looking through the shelf.

"Yeah, but... What kind of mascot?" Hunk made eye-contact with something behind the bars.

"Probably something that speaks for your team," Pidge said from behind him suddenly, making Hunk wheeze in surprise. They adjusted their glasses and looked into the same cage Hunk had just been watching. Hunk pursed his lips, officially weirded out by everything in this store.

The three of them were in a strange place called Chen Xing's Euphorium. Pidge and Hunk had gotten a text early that morning from Lance, asking them to meet up in that shop in hopes of finding a mascot. Hunk was reluctant to go. Spending his Saturday off wandering around a strange store looking for animals was a little less than thrilling for him. Normally he was down with hanging with Lance and Pidge on the weekends, but he has been training with Lance every single day for weeks. Sometimes Hunk just needed some Hunk time, and the search for an animal mascot was severely cutting into that time.

"Hello, young people!" An amiable voice called suddenly. "Are you here for an animal? Maybe two?" A man popped up from a backroom behind the counter, a heavy gray door sliding close behind him. In his arms were a box of cavehoppers and not the candy kind. Hunk didn't like the thought of bugs, and despite being more than two yards away from the man, he inched away.

"Are you Chen Xing?" Lance asked, strolling up to the counter with a small smile. The man nodded with a grin, and it was an unsettling smile, one too big for his face and made his eyes too wide.

"Sure am! And this is my happy place! I sell every kind of pet in this shop! White Hamsters, Deer Puppies, Dragonflys, Hermit Crabs, and sometimes we even get a few rare ones like Koalaotters!" Lance's eyes widened.

"White Hamsters?" Lance whispered. "Oh quiznak, can I see one?" The man laughed loudly like Lance had just told him the funniest knock knock joke ever, slightly forced but still genuine, and Hunk winced. Okay, yeah, this was the shadiest pet store Lance could have possibly picked save for the Black Market. The man walked around the counter and led the three of them down a narrow isle which was alined with brightly lit yellow tanks.

"What's a White Hamster?" Hunk asked aloud.

"They're these cute little things from the South Pole! I've never seen one except through  
pictures, but imagine a tiny cat with hamster paws," Lance told him, trailing close behind Chen Xing.

Pidge peered around Lance to glimpse at the shop owner, stopping only to look at the strange assortment of animal food that caught their eyes.

"Do you really think Keith is going to let you choose a hamster as our mascot?" Hunk asked dubiously. Lance waved him off.

"Who cares?" He asked, ignoring Hunk's 'you do'. "These things are flipping adorable!"

"They sure are!" Chen Xing said. He started whistling, twirling his ring of keys around his finger before stopping in front of a large tank that houses a bunch napping white balls of fur. Hunk looked closer. These balls of fur had cat ears! And tails! They were all sitting in a pile, and if Hunk placed his hand against the glass, he'd be able to feel the vibration of their purring.

One napping hamster looked up from it's snowy fur pile and blinked owlishly at Hunk. His heart melted instantly.

Chen Xing threw the keys in the air dramatically, going to grab at them. He dropped them, and had to spend a while to pick them up—'my back just ain't what is used to be, kids'. His mood never dampened, however, and he unlocked the silver hatch above the tank. When it propped open, he pulled out the glass tank, startling the small animals inside. Gently, he reached down to pick up a fur ball.

It was still waking up, confused and delirious. It look at Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, shrinking away in fear and cuddling close to the chest of Li Yen.

"Yup! Super cuddly! Great pets. They are usually the first ones to go," Hunk was in love instantly, and he was sure Lance was as well. Hunk's hand hovered over the small animal hesitantly. He really wanted to touch it, it's fur looked like warm snow, but what if it got scared? He didn't want to terrify the poor thing.

As for Pidge, something else caught their eye.

"What's that?" They asked, pointing up to the ceiling. Hunk followed their finger to a bronze cage hanging by a chain from the ceiling. Inside the cage was a small perch. An old newspaper curled against the skinny bars, and despite his curiosity, Hunk was unable to make out the headlines. It also took Hunk awhile before he could see what was inside, and he realized that Pidge must have had super vision or ultra glasses because the animals locked in were small and hard to notice.

They were a dark green with yellow spikes down their spines, parting for a pair of translucent insect wings. They looked like lizards that Hunk had seen when he visited the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom a few times, but he had never seen any in Republic City. Two of the animals were curled on the newspapers , thin limbs curled underneath them. Another wrapped it's long body around the wooden perch, revealing a pale green underbelly. The one on the perch opened its eyes lazily, and Hunk was taken aback by how yellow and bright they were against its dull bodies.

He grimaced at the sight of the scaly creatures. They were especially unfriendly looking, and Hunk hadn't yet gotten to hold the White Hamster! Hunk almost cried out when Chen Xing pulled the fluff ball off his shirt and returned it to it's friends, pushing the tank back into the wall and locking it closed.

"You have a good eye there, my little friend!" Chen Xing said with a sly smile. He led Pidge to the cage, and Hunk pouted as he watched Lance follow them. What about the White Hamster?

Hunk gave it one last longing glance. The cute rodent looked up at Hunk with its large blue eyes, and Hunk decided that maybe he should get one for Shay or himself. Yeah, how fun would it be if they shared a pet together? He should talk it over with her first, but if Lance could surprise his boyfriend with a sudden pet, why couldn't Hunk?

Hink didn't want to admit it, but he knew it was because he was going to be the voice of reason again. As 'chill' as Lance thought he was, that type of impulsiveness was nothing new to Hunk, and he knew all too well what could happen if he just brought home an animal he found today in a shady pet store.

"These are Dragonflys! Great pets, but hard to keep around the house," Chen Xing explained. "They usually have their wings clipped here," he pointed his fingers through the bar to the smaller set of wings underneath the large pair of wings. "They'll glide, but they won't be able to fly. But these guys are still young, just learned how to fly."

Chen Xing flipped through the keys on his key ring before choosing a small yellow key and unlocked the cage door. Creaking open the hatch carefully, Chen Xing reached inside and scooped a sleeping reptile into his hand. The small lizard opened its eyes slightly, a milky film under its eyelids, before closing its eyes again and resuming their nap.

Lance frowned and grimaced. "Uh, I don't know, Pidge. Dragonflys don't really... Click with our team, ya know?" Pidge was grinning and too excited to listen to him, looking to Chen Xing to see if they could proceed in petting the Dragonfly. When he nodded, Pidge slowly dragged their finger along the lizard's long body, almost shrieking in joy when it began to hum in content and brushed against their entire hand.

"Lance! We have to get this one!" Pidge practically yelled, whipping around to look at him, but keeping their hand of the sleeping lizard. "Look! It's already bonded to me! Please, please, please—" Pidge began begging, hands clasped together. Lance scratched at the back of his head.

"I mean, it's cool, but I don't know..." Lance peered at the sleeping lizard. It looked smug, eyes barley cracked and something that resembled a smirk, almost like it knew and was personally responsible for what was going to happen next. Lance bit his lip. He was kind of against the idea of a flying lizard, especially the kind that came with the reputation such as this. These creatures were famous shit-heads who acted like they were the most intelligent creatures on Earth and were entitled to everything they saw that they could break. Not to mention, it was glaring at him. Lance didn't care how small it was, he'll fight it (he'd never admit to bluffing, but Lance would probably cry if he got bitten).

Keith would either be extremely pissed or extremely happy if Lance bought one of these... Not to mention Lance had no idea what these things even ate or did. How was he supposed to take care of these things?

"Pidge, they aren't even cute, let's go back to the hamsters!" Hunk urged. "Or maybe a Ming Snake! Those are uh," how could he say less hideous in the nicest way possible? He looked just as iffy about the Dragonfly idea as Lance, and Lance looked at him, begging for some assistance in convincing Pidge not to buy this animal. This very smug and weird animal that continued humming...

"And we'd have to do a bunch of research and stuff," Lance added. "I have no idea where these things even come from."

Pidge rolled their eyes as if Lance was being childish. "They're Dragonflys, Lance! They're the easiest pets after hermit crabs. There's loads of these things in Ba Sing Se; I know exactly how to take care of them."

Lance shifted his weight uncomfortably. "We don't even have a place to put it..." He really didn't want to tell Pidge no. They had already gone as far as to pick up the lizard and stroke their back as its claws dug into the cloth of their shirt. Pidge looked so excited...

Lance sighed. "Alright, I'll give in. If it's alright with the other two, this dude... Thing... Whatever that is can be our mascot." Pidge was practically bouncing on the balls of their feet, swiveling around eagerly at Hunk.

"Oh, ah..." He didn't like telling Pidge no either. He looked closer at the lizard. It was now fully awake and aware, watching Hunk like he was wearing a piece of fresh meat. It had to be the ugliest animal Hunk had ever seen, and it was extremely unnerving.

It blinked slowly at Hunk, cocking its head at him and croaking softly.

Alright, so it was kind of cute.

Hunk wrung his fingers together in thought. Appearances weren't everything, but he still wasn't sure if he'd actually ever touch something so... Green and scaly.

"As long as it doesn't have to stay at my house," Hunk began slowly, "then I'm alright with this." Pidge nodded furiously, biting their lip before turning to look at Lance again expectantly.

The final decision is up to Keith, Lance thought as he pulled out his smartphone. He dialed a number into his phone. Was it weird that Lance already had Keith's number memorized? Not as weird as the fact that Keith had never owned a phone before Lance forced him to pick one out. And a flip phone, no less. Well, Lance had to admit flip phones were kind of cool, but he'd never tell that to Keith.

**Calling ∠( ᐛ 」∠)_ . . .**

Lance pulled the phone to his ear, listening to it ringing. His finger tapped the back of his phone unconsciously as he made an impatient face. He didn't say anything, but it was kind of unnerving to have everyone look at him at once, it wasn't like he could control when Keith would answ—

"Hello?" Lance inhaled sharply. Moment of truth; it was a make or break for little dragon dude. No going back now.

"Heyyy... Buddy..." How was he supposed to explain this in the simplest way possible.

"Lance, what do you want? I'm kind of busy." He replied shortly. Lance rolled his eyes. Busy doing Keith things like listening to emo music while doing sit up's on his bedroom floor. Lance has walked on him enough times to know Keith's definition of busy by heart.

"Why do I have to want something? Maybe I just wanted to check up on you, like the good boyfriend and roommate that I am. Wouldn't want you getting hurt before the fina—"

"Lance," Hunk and Keith said simultaneously.

"Alright, I want to get a Dragonfly." Lance said. "Or, uh, Pidge does, but Hunk and I agree. As our mascot, I mean. Okay, wait let me restart—"

"Wait what? You told me you went out to meet up with your brother. Where even are you?"

"Hunk _is_ my brother, and we're at Chen Xing's petshop. We're choosing a mascot for our team because, you know, I've never seen a Panther-Lion, much less a red one. I'm pretty sure they don't exist? Or maybe they do. Who cares; anyways, it was supposed to be a surprise! But I wanted to get confirmation." Keith sighed into the phone.

"Okay, so what is happening? I'm very confused."

"Pidge found this thing called a dragonfly. Imagine a tiny dragon, but— like— a bug. Two out of three says it's our new mascot. You're the final decision. You can be Simon Cowell or Howie, it's up to you, babe." Lance wasn't sure if Keith would get his Republic City Idol and Omashu's Got Talent references, but he thought that Keith had gotten the gist of what he was trying to say.

"Who? And what about food? Where will it live?" Lance was silently thankfully he didn't remark on the 'babe' part. That was strictly ironic; Lance would swear his own right hand on this fact.

"Lance, gimme the phone," Pidge said. Shrugging, Lance gave them the phone. Cradling the Dragonfly in one arm, Pidge pinched the phone between their head and shoulder. The resemblance to a soccer mom with two kids and a baby was uncanny, and Lance watched with an amused smile.

"Keith? It's Pidge. Yeah, no. Yeah... Ah huh... I would hope not... Of course he didn't tell you," Pidge went quiet for a moment before bursting out laughing, and Lance's face twisted. He'd never get this image of soccer mom Pidge out of his head, much less soccer mom Pidge talking shit. "I got it set! Yeah. They're super easy to train, and I've got a lot of experience... My room... Is it cute? Well, yeah, I'd say so. Cuter than Lance, that's for sure, but then again that bar is set so low alrea— hey!"

Lance snatched the phone away from Pidge. "Alright, enough of that." He pressed the phone against his ear. "I'm hurt, buy me this pet and make up for it."

Lance could hear Keith thinking over the line. Keith had a thinking voice and a thinking face, and over the phone he had a thinking hum. It was quiet and soft and drawn out. It reminded Lance of when Keith had fallen asleep a week ago. Lance tried not to blush remembering that night.

"Alright, but one condition."

"And what's that?"

"I get to pick the new team name." Lance groaned over the line. He put his hand on the phone to cover the microphone. He looked to Hunk.

"He said we can get it if he gets to pick the new name," he said is a raspy strained voice.

"I'm alright with that," Hunk said.

"Are you sure? Because his team has a history of having bad names. Like Red Panther-Lions? What kind of—"

"Lance, just let him pick the name," Pidge hissed impatiently. They turned around to face Chen Xing, who had been distracting himself with the other Dragonflys. "We'll take it!"

"Perfect! I'll ring you up. Remember, if it doesn't work out, you can always return 'em. I'd rather them back here than out there." Pidge nodded in understanding, and the group began heading towards the cashier. Lance lingered for a few seconds.

"So," he said, brining the phone back up to his ear, "what're you wearing?"

"I am going to hang up now."

"Kidding, kidding! But I gotta go, see you later. Thanks for the pet." Lance pocketed the phone after he hung up, walking briskly to catch up to his friends.

"What should we name him?" Hunk asked. He had an eery suspicion that despite the new Dragonfly being their team mascot, it was going to serve as Pidge's personal pet above else, but he didn't see any problem with that. As long as he didn't have to touch it...

"Is it a he?" Pidge asked Chen Xing. Chen Xing nodded.

"The color of it's underbelly says so. Bright colors for attracting mates. Also, if you'll notice the pattern on the nose and chin..." He said, beginning to ramble, but Hunk kind of lost what he was saying along the way.

"Shouldn't we buy food or something?" Hunk whispered to Lance as to not interrupt Chen Xing.

"Uh..."

"They eat cavehoppers," Pidge said. "Maybe we should get a few to go? I had a Dragonfly once, and I normally just let it... Go, I guess? Outside, I mean... It always came back." Okay, so that good feeling of Pidge having a new friend was replaced by worry for the Dragonfly.

Chen Xing placed a box of cavehoppers on the counter, and Lance grimaced in disgust. Favorite candy or not, Lance wasn't going to look at cavehoppers the same ever again. These things smelled like a dead womrat. Lance had to resist the urge to plug his nose shut.

Chen placed the new mascot in a cardboard box, handing it to Pidge. They each forked over a share of money, and before they knew it, they were sitting at the park on a blue bench, all looking anxiously at the box.

"I decided on his name," Pidge said. They all waited for them to open the box, and slowly their small hands began to unfasten the binding. "I'm going to call him Rover."

The small lizard poked it's head out, and Pidge pet it softly. "Hey, little guy! I'm your new bud. This is your Uncle Lance and your other uncle, Hunk."

The Dragonfly stuck out its tongue slowly as if to test the air like a snake.

"I'm not going to lie; that's creepy as fuck." Lance remarked.

"I think it's cute," Pidge countered.

"Where is he living? Keith never told me," Lance asked.

"My house! I already have a set up. I used to have something similar to this guy a few months ago," Pidge said. Lance didn't have the stomach to ask what happened to that let. Pidge let the lizard crawl up their long sleeves on onto their shoulder.

"Where do you live anyways?" Lance asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Rover sniffed Pidge's hair before crawling back down Pidge's arm and jumping onto Hunk, nuzzling his neck and clawing at his hair.

"Ah! Ah! Pidge help, its— oh god it's in my ear!"

"Calm down, Hunk, he's not—" Pidge was cut off at the sound if Rover ruffling his wings. Time seemed to slow down tenfold as Lance and Pidge watched Rover start to beat his wings.

"Oh no." Rover launched off Hunk's face, flinging himself into the air and flying quickly towards the sun. They all stared as Rover was gone in seconds.

It was awhile before any of them spoke, Pidge still clutching the empty box, Hunk rubbing his ear, and Lance imagining how he was going to tell Keith he lost the fucking lizard.

"Shit."

 

"Keith!" Lance called, closing the door behind him. He was exhausted. He had planned to be home in time for lunch, but he had spent almost three hours chasing after that damn lizard around the city before Pidge finally caught it. "I'm back."

He flopped onto the couch. Oh geez, he was tired. He pressed his forearm against eyes to block out the light from the living room ceiling, too weak to get up and switch off the lights. The feeling of water tribe wraps around his wrist was still foreign, and Lance's mouth soured at the thought of them.

"Keith?" He called, but he still got no answer. Did he go out? Lance sat up, stretching. He sighed, relaxing his body. He should watch some TV. He made an Omashu's Got Talent joke to Keith, but he was far behind the season, and now was as good time as any to catch up.

Pulling out his phone, Lance loaded an app and began streaming the episodes he missed. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing a pair of scissors. Carefully, he cut the gauze from his arm. He looked carefully at his burns. After nearly three months, they were beginning to regain some pigment. Lance doubted they'd ever go away, but he knew he was still healing, and he was okay with the slow process.

Lance gathered the gauze in his hands, bundling them up and tossing them in the trash. Whistling softly, he put the scissors away. One of the contestants was singing a song familiar to Lance, and he whistled to the tune of it. Eventually he started humming, and snooped around the kitchen.

He opened the fridge. Inside, he found a plate of rice and peas badly covered in plastic wrap. Grinning, he pulled it out and read the yellow post it note on it.

_Lance,_

_Where the hell were you? Hope you like your lunch cold because I'm leaving it in the fridge._

_—Keith_

_P.S You owe me dinner_

Couldn't get much better than this, Lance thought cheerfully as he put the plate in the microwave. He stared down at the post it note. It seemed heartless to throw it away, and Lance was always the type to add sentiment to what others considered trivial.

Lance picked it up and walked to his bedroom. His room was about the same size as Keith's, maybe slightly bigger. Lance always wondered why it was bigger, but he never asked, and he was grateful for the extra space because he had a lot of things in his room. He had two bookshelves pressed against one wall, one filled with nonfiction books about bending and the other filled with his favorite fictions and knick knacks like his Snow Globe collection and old Pokemon cards. Across the room from his door was his bed, a queen with two matching nightstands. On the far left, Lance placed all his clothes in his closet; the top racks were reserved for the things Lance had that wouldn't fit on his shelves like his old stuffed animals and collectables. On the right side was a dresser and mirror to match the one Keith had, except Lance's wasn't covered in trash and dust, but rather products and jewelry, as well some traditional water tribe paint that he felt obligated to have in his house.

Lance wasn't sure where exactly to put the note, so he put it on his mirror temporarily and returned to the kitchen. Opening the microwave, he pulled out his plate and sat on the counter to eat. Usually, Keith told him he wasn't allowed to sit on the counter because he though Lance would break it, but Keith wasn't home, and Lance could do whatever he wanted, which included eating that bag of Fire Gummies he stashed away in his room.

Lance was actively against 'healthy' food. He only had one life, so he might as well fill it with candy and soda. But Keith was, as per usual, his rival, and was strongly opposed to 'unhealthy' food.

 _That kind of made us like Romeo and Juliet, right?_ Lance thought, _minus the whole dying part, of course_. And besides, maybe they balanced each other out. Lance could teach Keith to loosen up with all the leafy greens, and Keith could convince him to eat something that wasn't microwaved straight from the freezer for his breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Lance was reluctant to admit he'd probably be Romeo. Did that make Keith Juliet? Or maybe Keith was Tybalt, and Tybalt turned out to not be that bad of a dude, and the conjoined friendship, or gay love, healed the rift between the two houses. It was usually Tybalt starting fights, anyways, it'd make sense for him to be Keith.

When he was finished, Lance rinsed off his plate and set it to dry. Grabbing his phone, Lance trudged his way back to the living room.

He glanced at the clock. It was already twelve in the afternoon. Four months ago, he'd be training for his show bending competition right now. But after joining pro-bending, most of his Saturdays were dedicated to relaxing. There was something unsettling about relaxing, though. He couldn't remember what he actually did in his free time before moving in with Keith, and his life seemed a lot emptier when he wasn't around his friends or bending.

Groaning in boredom, Lance closed out of his phone app and turned on the TV. Lazily he flipped through the channel, scrolling through the guide menu. TV never had anything good on it anymore... Lance could always pull a Keith and fall asleep, but he wasn't tired anymore, just weak in the knees. Maybe he should watch this documentary about Avatar Aang he saw on Netflix the other day...

Unlocking his phone, Lance opened the message app and clicked on the conversation he had with Hunk, Pidge, and Shay named _#SlutSquad_.

**Hey, you guys up for anything tonight?**

The responses took awhile, but eventually his phone dinged, and Lance had to restrain himself from pouncing on it.

**What a Hunk ❤️: Shay and I are going on a date tonight. It's our four month <3**

Lance sighed. Four months since they first started dating? How long ago even was that? It felt like it's been years

**The Only Nice Friend: My apologizes, Lance! Perhaps next time?**

Quiznak, she was nice. How could she be so nice? It should be physically impossible. No matter how jealous Lance was that Hunk was going on a date rather than keeping up their out on the town tradition, he couldn't bring himself to blame her. Lance was more shocked that it had taken them as long as it did to actually get together; he had braced himself for the reality of them dating long ago.

**Life Support: I'll probably stay home with Rover. I want him to get used to my place before I leave him alone**

Lance groaned. All his friends were bailing on him, and he didn't even know where his boyfriend was. Lance pressed the little information icon in the group chat, pulling up Pidge's contact info. Maybe he could distract himself with a name change.

"Rover 'n' Me," he said aloud as he typed into the name bar. "No wait, that's dumb. Dragonfly? No... TechMaster9000? Maybe just an emoticon..." Naming contacts was a hard process, but Life Support was no longer adequate enough.

**̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\з= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿: Maybe later lance**

Perfect name for the perfect tech kid.

**Y'all never hang out with me**

**What a Hunk ❤️: I saw you not even an hour ago**

**That's beside the point, and also Keith is missing?????? Just gone??????**

**̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\З= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =Ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿: Why do you have so many excessive question marks?**

**Because, Pidge, it gets the point of** **my confusion across.**

Lance put his phone down. He knew it had only been a few hours since he'd last seen Keith, but he was already bored, and it was boredom in a way only Keith could cure. He could always entertain himself with Keith around; even if entertainment meant bugging Keith with excessive jokes or training together. He would kill for a Keith hug right now, too. He may not want to take their relationship too quickly, but that didn't mean he didn't want to hug and cuddle him 24/7. What were boyfriends for, if not to provide emotional support as sentient pillows?

Lance kicked his feet onto the couch, letting them hang off the arm rest. Staring up at the ceiling, Lance wondered what Keith doing now. What about Hunk? Was he getting ready for his date? Shay as well?

And how about Pidge? They were still a big mystery to Lance. Lance had asked them where they lived, and even if Rover hadn't run off into the sunset like he was the star in a Nicholas Sparks' book, Lance wasn't sure Pidge would have told him. How was it that a lizard that they had lost within an hour of buying already knew much more about Pidge than Lance had found out in four entire months. Was Pidge purposely keeping Lance in the dark? Usually that didn't mean anything good, and Lance was a little worried as to why Pidge would be keeping so many secrets.

**Hey can I visit you instead? I'll bring snacks**

**̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\З= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =Ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ : Are you sure?**

Lance frowned, chewing on his cheeks.

**Why wouldn't I be?**

**̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\З= ( ▀ ͜͞ʖ▀) =Ε/̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ : Alright, but no sugar rocks they hurt my teeth**

Lance sat up, staring intensely at the screen before breaking into a smile. The mystery was finally unraveling! Lance rubbed his hands together mischievously. He would know more about Pidge than anyone, forcing them to make Lance their best friend. Lance will be their rock and foundation, but he promised himself that he would only shove it in Keith's face a little bit.

Lance jumped up, grinning. He grabbed his coat off the coat rack and pushed his arms in hastily. He jogged back into the kitchen, pulling out a draw filled with pens and paper and important mail.

_Keith,_

_I waited for you, but I got bored. I'm gonna go meet with Pidge. Be back in time for dinner, try not to miss me too much._

_Your's truly, forever until death, in richer or poorer, even if you have a mullet, maybe not if you had a bowl hair cut,_

_—Lance XOXO_

Perfect.

Lance peeled off the stick note and stuck it on Keith's bedroom door. He felt the urge to kiss it, but that felt dumb... Okay, he kissed it, but only _ironically_.

Lance grabbed his wallet and keys from the dining table and swung open the door.

 

 

"You have to be shitting me," was all Lance could manage. He gazed up at the tall building with the red tile roof and pale walls, the wrap around porches and glassless windows. He side-eyed Pidge, who looked a little smug about Lance's reaction. "You... Live on Air Temple island, and you just... never told me?"

Pidge shrugged. "It didn't come up." Lance glared at her with his mouth gaping.

"I asked you today! And if you live here, then you're an airbender! I've asked you that a million times, too!" He let out a defeated tone. He had money on Pidge's bending element, and now he had to pay up to Hunk and Shay. "And I would have thought you were an earthbender, being from Ba Sing Se and all."

"Just 'cause I live on Air Temple island doesn't mean I'm an airbender."

"It doesn't?" He asked. Pidge shook their head.

"I could be here conducting research."

"Are you researching?" Pidge nodded. "So you aren't an airbender."

"I never said that." Lance groaned, beyond the stage of just 'confused'. The shock of being on Air Temple Island was starting to wear off not that Lance was seeing more of it. The boat ride to the island was a very different experience consisting of Lance resisting to scream and rock the railing back and forth.

The two of them stood on the edge of the island, the waters lazily lapping up on the rocks below them. It was a warm spring, but the wind that came off the water was chilly and salty, and Pidge shivered. "I'm freezing, let's go inside."

Lance's hands were tucked in his pocket, flipping his phone around to keep his fingers busy. He kept thinking about what Pidge had said, following them into the giant sacred buildings. This is where most new airbenders came to learn during their first few years. After the mastered the basics, they were sent off to travel the world and assist people in need. The temple normally gave tours, and Lance had been on hundreds of those, but walking with Pidge was much more surreal and intimate. He felt like he was actually seeing the Air Temple, not the waxy version they showed visitors.

So maybe Pidge was just conducting research, it would make sense. Normally air nomads weren't very social people, and their temples weren't always used for tours. This changed a little over 70 years ago, but even then, an article published about the culture of air benders and insight on their spiritual world would be something Lance would definitely read a hundred times because he knew so little about them.

Lance faintly remember Pidge saying something similar to that a while ago, something about research, but he couldn't quite recall exactly.

"Why are you so quiet? It's just a temple," Pidge said suddenly as they opened a door for Lance and guided them down the hall. There was a touch of annoyance, and Lance had a feeling Pidge was used to the glamor of the Air Temple and even found it's popularity annoying.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about the match," Lance lied. Pidge's face grew softer.

"Oh. Sorry. But hey, don't sweat the match too much. You have Keith to carry your weight for you."

"Hey!" Lance protested.

"Kidding, kidding. I honestly don't think any of you have to worry about winning or losing. Trust me on this; you guys are a good team,"

The entrance to the main temple branches off into different quarters, male and female. Its a cross roads once you get to the living spaces where the monks live, and Lance glanced at the characters written on a wooden board, indicating which way to turn. Male to the left and female to the right.

Lance paused for a moment. Male or female? He glanced at Pidge. Was there a secret corridor for the other genders, or were they just forced to pick one? That doesn't seem fair at all.

Lance watched Pidge carefully, seeing them turn right without hesitation. Lance bit his lip. Pidge was walking down the female corridor.

"Hey, uh, Pidge?" Lance asked aloud quietly.

"What?" Pidge answered, not looking back at him.

"What pronouns do you use?" Lance asked. He felt kind of stupid. He had always been referring to Pidge just as Pidge, and it never occurred to him to ask for their pronouns. He felt ashamed, as well, that he had never asked them. Biting his lip, he trotted up closer so he could look at them closer.

"I am genderqueer, actually," Pidge said, a little strained as if they were too used to having to explain themselves. "Sometimes people call me she or her, and other times people call me they or them. When put in a situation like this," Pidge gestured to all the doors in the corridor, and Lance assumed they were talking about the separation of genders. "I'll choose girl."

"So, I should call you she?" Lance asked her. Pidge turned to look at him with a small smile and nodded. Lance smiled back.

"My room is just down here," Pidge said, and Lance had a feeling she wanted to change the subject.

Lance tried hard not to look inside the rooms with open doors as the walked down the halls; he knew it was rude. But he couldn't help the sneaked glances that slide back to look inside. He had never seen what an air temple bedroom looked like, and his curiosity was getting the better of him.

The rooms were all very humble for lack of a better word. Brown furniture and desks, a small window with thin cloth curtains, and a door made of solid wood. Lance would die if he had to sleep in a place like this. Call him materialistic, but he preferred being sentimentally attached to things. The lack of colors and the bare walls and plainness was almost depressing to him. The thought that people, people like Pidge, sought out and choose to live in places like these was baffling to Lance.

But the again, living in a frozen tundra made entirely of ice and frozen rock could be seen as equally as confusing. Even if he was from the North Pole, he thought it was a little strange his ancestors looked at a patch of ice and thought: "Yes. Here is where I want to raise my family." Frostbite wasn't exactly kid-friendly.

"Welcome to my crib," Pidge said, slamming open her door, making Lance wince. Okay, Pidge was the exact opposite of an airbender; how has she managed not to be kicked off the island was a complete mystery to Lance, as were many things concerning Pidge.

Unlike an airbender, Pidge was reckless, stubborn, and filled to the brim with emotions looking for ways to explode like when she screamed the loudest at a bending match or got too enthusiastic about technology and began to rant.

She was very earthbender, and Lance wouldn't put it past her to secretly be an earthbender conducting airbending research for whatever reason Pidge researched things. Maybe she was a journalist?

The second the door opened, Rover flew up suddenly into Lance's face, making him yelp and stumble back, trying to swat the lizard away from him. Rover turned sharply, curling around Pidge's shoulder and looking at him slyly, and Lance could have sworn he winked. That motherfucker—

"That isn't nice, Rover, apologize," Pidge told the lizard, petting its head. Lance glared at him and crossed his arms. Little shit already made him run around town for three hours, now he was mocking him? Rover blinked up at Pidge, and his small tongue licked her neck quickly. Pidge turned to Lance. "He says sorry."

"Yeah, sure he does," he can't believe it. Being sassed by Pidge was one thing, but being sassed by a lizard bug was another.

Lance looked up at Pidge's room and was shocked by the difference compared to the other rooms. Laundry was strewn all over the floors and on top the bed. The desk that normally bore books and paper was covered in old fashion technology that look like a frankenstein combination of several other devices. The wires were all tangled and multi-colored, feeding into a chiseled out hole in the wall overflowing with power cords.

The curtains were not white and thin, but rather dark green and thick, casting a dark shade in Pidge's room. At the foot of Pidge's bed was a large wired cage that looked old and rustic. A perch that hung from a small hook inside the cage squeaked gratingly inside.

Overall, the room was entirely Pidge, and Lance loved it.

"Damn, Pidge!" Lance called, running to the bed and flopping down ungracefully. "Your room is killer! Where'd you get that computer? And this pillow is soft as heck, is it made of babies or something?"

"You're not that clever coming up with things to say on the fly, are you?" Pidge asked with an amused smile, sitting down slowly in the desk chair.

"Oh yeah, well..." Lance paused for a moment. "It's harder than it looks, okay."

"I'm sure," they hummed. "But to answer your question: no, the pillows are not made of babies. They're made here on the island with some weird cotton or whatever. And I built this baby," Pidge ran their hand along the clunky monitor of their computer, "by myself!"

Lance feared what would happen if he asked Pidge to elaborate. He wasn't a stranger to technology, but the whole... Software thingy made his head spin. But if it made Pidge happy...

"So how did you do that?"  Lance asked, sitting forward. Pidge beamed at him almost smugly, and Lance pursed his lips, regretting his decision immediately.

"Now listen here, this whole research thing doesn't pay well, and the air temple has crap wifi. What's a poor computer junkie gonna do? Build their own computer, that's what. I started by salvaging some old computers from that weird school down 32nd street—" Lance's eyes glazed over as his mind began to drift. He tried to look Pidge in the eye, but it was hard when he kept getting distracted by Rover. It was like the mascot was trying to pick a fight with Lance, and Lance could appreciate his belligerence.

As if reading his mind, Rover lifted his head and stared straight at Lance. Slowly, he began to uncoil himself from Pidge's neck and stalk down her arm. Pidge was still talking animatedly about the software she had to pry from this old laptop she found in a dumpster. She didn't noticed the lizard hover over to Lance and land on his knee, gazing up at him.

The two locked eyes, and Lance bit his lips to keep his eyes from watering. Rover cocked his head, his tongue flicking out of his mouth and licking his still opened eye. Lance reared his head back in disgust. Rover was cheating! The makes Lance winner by default.

Lance was about to tell Rover such when the lizard suddenly started to move across Lance's lap, and eventually made his way towards Lance's jacket sleeves. Lance tried not to startle the lizard as he jerked back his arm, but it was too late. Rover was already burrowing inside of his arm, and Lance could feel his plastic-y wings buzzing on his forearms. Before he could pull the dumb thing out, though, Pidge swiveled back around in their chair and smiled at Lance.

"And that's how I got the coolest computer in all of Republic City." Lance was sweating a lot, right now. He wondered if Pidge could tell. But he was in a delicate situation. Rover was centimeters away from sticking his nose in Lance's arm pits, and Lance feared for both of their safety if he so much as moved near his ticklish spots. Sure, he teased Keith for being ticklish, but it was mostly to cover up the fact that Lance was extremely and irreversibly ticklish. If Rover touched that spot, Lance had a feeling he could squish him.

"Hey, are you alright? You look as red as a tomato."

Lance squirmed. "Rover is seconds from murdering me, and I need help like right now."

"Uh, what?"

"He's in my sleeve, Pidge! I ca—" Lance suddenly jerked his entire body, laughing wildly. "Pidge he fucking licked me! He licked my armpit!"

"Take off you jacket!" Lance thought wildly for only a second. He had taken off the bandages covering his scars back at the apartment, and he had put any new ones on. Maybe he could just reach for Rover...

Lance dug his hand past his chest and made a grab for Rover. His fingers touched scaly skin and he tried not to think about what was up his sleeve too much. When his hand closed around Rover's body, he attempted to extract the lizard out slowly and carefully, like a splinter. But Rover was equally terrified, and his claws were digging into the fabric of Lance's sleeve.

"Don't hurt him, just take your jacket off," Pidge was beginning to sound distraught, standing up from the desk chair and making a grab for Lance's coat.

 _Come on Rover, just get the fuck out!_ Lance urged in his mind, but Rover made no attempt to budge.

"Lance, I'm serious! Take it off!" Groaning loudly, Lance pulled his free arm out, followed by his other arm, and laid the jacket down next to him on the bed. Rover's head was bobbing underneath the fabric as he slowly scurried to his exit.

Lance gripped the edge of Pidge's bed, trying not to grit his teeth. He worked too hard to have aesthetically pleasing teeth to let himself grind them into dust. Pidge reached past Lance, and Rover flew out right as she picked up the hem of the sleeve, seeking refugee in the comforts of her bushy hair.

Pidge's eyes glanced down at Lance, flashing in realization immediately when she noticed his clenched forearms strained from his iron-tight hold on the sheets.

"I'm sorry," she said lowly. "I didn't mean to pressure you." Lance wanted to wave her away, but his grip on the bed was slightly too tight. He wasn't sure how to explain how he was feeling. His scars weren't a reminder of anything bad, but they made him feel vulnerable. It was his weakest moment when he was burned, and he knew it was Keith's as well.

Lance remembered when Keith first approached him, right after he had burned Lance, and Lance had thought for just that moment that he had never hated anybody more in his entire life. His scars were a permanent reminder that Lance had, in his own twisted way, learned that he was suddenly a lot smaller in the world than he had thought. But he also knew that they had become a symbol of the growth Lance had the past three months. He genuinely believed that he became a better person starting with that fight. He learned his actions had consequences. He went from almost having everything to having nothing and then finally getting everything he needed.

Lance looked up at Pidge. His scars were still something extremely private, meant for him and only him. Maybe one day he'd share what they meant to him with his friends, but for now, Lance simply looked Pidge in the eyes and said, "It's alright, don't mention it."

And Pidge didn't, which Lance was extremely grateful for. She simply nodded, and went to sit next to him, handing him his jacket.

Lance put it on quickly before breaking out into a smile. "So, hypothetically speaking, if you were an airbender, would you shave your head?" Pidge's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, the mood suddenly shifting much lighter and less strained.

"Would you?"

"Touché." Lance stood up, stretching, before reaching in his jacket and pulling out a bag of Fire Gummies. He tossed it to Pidge. "How many Fire Gummies do you think I can catch in my mouth?"

"None; how many do you think I can catch?" Lance tapped his chin for a moment.

"Two. And Rover could catch three."

"I'll bet you free lunch that I can beat you."

"You're on, lizard-kid."

 

"Come have dinner with us!" Lance said brightly. He and Pidge were taking turns playing games on the computer, starting by checking on their old animal accounts from when they were younger. Pidge had amounted much wealth in Club Penguin, but it was nothing compared to the beautifully decorated and organized rooms in Lance's Webkinz house.

Pidge snorted. "And third wheel? Nah, I'm taking the high road on this one." They clicked around the rooms, twitching in envy. Lance even had a spa room with a limited edition spring bath.

Lance had gotten the text that Keith was going to return home soon, and Lance decided to call in someone takeout he'd pick up on the way home.

"No third wheeling! Come on, why should the fun end here?" Lance asked them. It was about to be his turn to look at Pidge's Webkinzs, and judging from their Club Penguin account, Pidge was serious about their finical state.

"Pleaseee? Keith hasn't met Rover!" Lance honestly didn't want that asshole anywhere near his house, but he wanted Pidge to tag along.

Pidge thought for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said. "Rover might be stressed from meeting everyone today." Lance gave her an unconvinced look, throwing a look at the lizard how had made a nest out of Pidge's laundry and was sleeping soundly.

"That shithead has had the best day of his life. Besides, maybe he'll love Keith." Pidge wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"He's not the only one," she said, winking.

"That's it, you're never coming over ever again." Pidge laughed, twisting behind her to grab the sweatshirt lying on her bedpost.

"Well now I kind of want to come."

"Too late," Lance said, slipping on his shoes and tying the laces tightly. "You're not coming." He waited by the door as Pidge slid into some crocs, resisting the urge to question her life choices.

Pidge scooped Rover into the pockets of the hoodie, and gestured for Lance to lead the way. Lance opened the door.

"Don't follow me home, you sicko," he tried to ignore the shocked look of a monk who was passing them in the hall. Lance winced internally. First air monk he ever met, and he was yelling at someone calling them a sicko. Well Lance was always a man of first impressions.

Pidge smiled apologetically at the confused monk and shrugged. When the monk walked away, still looking at them curiously, Pidge elbowed Lance's arm.

"Jerk."

"You're the one following me home," Lance protested, but they were both grinning, and Lance couldn't help but crack up laughing.

They made it outside, the day a lot cooler than it had been just a few hours ago. Lance zipped up his jacket. He may have been an ice bender, but he liked to keep warm, and his coat had the perfect amount of padding to keep Lance from freezing or overheating.

"Are we going to wait for the ferry?" Lance asked Pidge as they approached the docks. Pidge grinned at him in an unsettling way.

"Why wait? You're a waterbender after all."

Oh no, oh man. What Pidge thought was going to happen and what will happen were two extremely different things. Lance had been put in this situations with his siblings man times before. Ice wasn't very strong, especially across an ocean that was constantly moving. He could bend them across, but the floor of the bay was no doubtably cold and dark. There was one option if Pidge really wanted to get a across.

"Alright then, hold on to your Rover! We are now boarding the Lance ship." Lance said with a broad grin, and he peered over the edge of the dock. Kneeling close to the water, Lance began to blow puffs of myst onto the water, the water underneath his break freezing and growing across the water.

It was a square piece of ice, rocky and not very thick, but it would do the job. Lance jumped on, twisting his ankles sharply so that his legs were frozen to the ice.

Pidge was much more careful getting on. "Actually, I think we should wait for the ferry," she said uncertainly.

"We'll be fine! Promise. But, ah, seriously hold on to Rover; I don't want him to drown." Pidge gave him a confused look until they noticed the ice creeping on their legs, securing them on the ice.

"Wait, wha—" Pidge was cut off as Lance took off. She screamed, one hand clutching onto her stomach where Rover was lying and the other curled tightly around Lance's legs.

Lance was a man of speed, sort of. When he was out if his element, Lance wasn't fast. But water was his element, and the ride it took him to cross the bay was three times as fast as any ferry.

A giant wave propelled them forward, drowning out the sounds of Pidge's screaming. Lance's arms were sprawled next to him, like a bird preparing for flight, and he had an almost wicked grin on his face. The ice was pointed downwards, and Lance had to concentrate extra hard to make sure they didn't topple over and into the ocean.

Pidge was still screaming, her eyes squeezed shut. Rover was still in her pocket, and Lance wouldn't put it past the lizard to sleep through the entire ride.

"Screw dinner, take me back!" Pidge yelled. The wave started to die, growing less powerful until eventually, they were sailing smoothly across the water.

"Aw, but we're already here." The ice sheet's edge bumped against the stone walls that surrounded the boardwalk wrapped around southern downtown. "We can go back?" Lance rose his hands up, but Pidge yelled.

"Fuck you!" The attempted to stand up, and Lance could instantly tell Pidge was no sailor. Their legs were wobbly, and the leaned almost their entire weight on Lance. Lance actually felt a little guilty and promised them that this would be their last ice ride. "Thank god."

Lance unfroze Pidge's feet, guiding them towards the railing of the boardwalk. With a grunt, Pidge hoisted themselves up, climbing up the bars and swinging their legs over the top bar. Lance followed her quickly. He had a lot more practice than her, and this was almost second nature to him.

When they were both safely on the ground, Lance patted her back reassuringly. "You alright?" She waved him away, her hands on her knees and her chest heaving.

"Yeah! Yeah! I'm good, just a little," she took a deep breath, "winded."

"What about Rover?" Pidge stood up straight and slipped her hand in her pocket. Her face was blank, and Lance looked for any indication of what had happened. Oh no, did they loose him again?

"What? What's wrong?"

"Unbelievable." She muttered. She opened the pocket with her hands, and Lance bent down to look inside. Lance's mouth gaped open. He was still asleep.

"I think I've come to adore this asshole," Lance said aloud, and he really meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my friend Tex! They helped me write some of this, and it was amazing. 
> 
> Chen Xing in some translations means Morning Star, plz be nice to him I love him lots. 
> 
> I also love Pidge, expect them nearly everywhere forever because I love her.
> 
> Also this is lowkey cut off super abrutly bc hey 9000 is a lot and i just needed to stop here bc I have hw and its already 8 ;^;


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me???? Back with another chapter???? Procristinating all of my Chemistry and AP homework??? Impossible ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ 
> 
> For real, I'm sorry this took so long. I'm really bad at Chemistry?? And I also joined a bunch of clubs (against my will). I apologize this is so short, but it was the most I had and I felt kinda guilty.

"Rover?" Keith asked with a skeptical look. "Like Sesame Street?" Lance frowned at him.

"That's Grover; this is Rover," he corrected, knotting his hands on his hips as Pidge reached into their pocket and pulled out the dragonfly. He was no longer asleep, and looked up at them owlishly. His gaze was calculating, daring even, and his body looked relaxed but wound up like a ticking timer.

Keith bent down to level with the lizard. "He's... Kind of cute." Keith pet Rover's head with a single finger, and the lizard did not move or budge, as if Rover would not give Keith the satisfaction of annoying him. Keith straightened up, pulling his hand back.

"You have to admit," Lance said, strolling closer to Pidge and taking the lizard into his hands. "He's kind of a badass." The lizard looked more or less annoyed with Lance, but Lance knew this was more progress. He was at least comfortable enough in Lance's hands to fall asleep in them, and Lance knows they had taken great strides towards their friendships.

"And he's our mascot?" Keith asked again. He had long since shouldered off his jacket and hung it, and Lance was tempted to do the same.

"Yup! I mean, I guess that makes him a Red Panther-Lion, not a green dragonfly, but those are technicalities." Lance said loosely, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

Keith, who had yet to uncross his arms, walked over to their coat rack and dug around in one of his shallow pockets.

"He's not a Red Panther-Lion, and neither are you," He said it cooly, and Lance had half a mind to cover Rover's ears. How could he say that in front of Rover? Now wasn't the time for team disputes, not in front of the children. Pidge was only like 18; she shouldn't have to hear them argue about whether their mascot was a team member or not.

Keith pulled a wad of paper and handed it to Lance before Lance could say anything. Frowning with a slight pout, Lance unfolded the papers.

"Blah blah blah, we've decided to admit your new submission for a blah blah blah," Lance trailed off, muttering some parts incredibly quickly. "What does this say? I don't feel like reading it." Keith rolled his eyes as Pidge took the paper from him. She scanned it quickly, her eyes flashing around the page.

"Well, I'll be damned. Keith, this isn't too bad of a name, surprisingly." Pidge said, handing the paper back to Lance. Keith bulked at Pidge.

"Surprisingly? I thought you were on my side!"

"Wait, name?" Lance asked, scanning through the paper again. He skipped the mumbo jumbo words and introductory, and his eyes skimmed the bold. "Holy shit, Pidge is right."

Keith let out a tired sigh. "Was Red Lion-Panthers really that bad?" Bad enough that Pidge and Lance didn't even bother to say it right? Absolutely.

"No, no, it's not... _Bad_ ; it's just not, you know... _Good_ ," Lance reassured. "But this is way better! We have to call Hunk!"

"You mean after his big date?" Pidge asked. "And ya know, his anniversary is technically the day we met. Where's my anniversary present?" Lance held Rover out to her.

"Well, I think your present just peed on my hand, so you can have that," Lance told her. With a grimace, he plucked the lizard off and passed it to Keith before running to the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

Keith glared at the lizard, and the lizard glared back. Keith's gaze intensified, and he found himself on the losing side of this damn lizard.

"Please don't hurt him, Keith," Pidge said cautiously, reaching slowly to take Rover back. "He literally just joined our group." Keith hummed in response, giving the lizard back to Pidge.

"So when's the name change effective? We could have the element of surprise during our next round! No one will know who we are!" Lance enthused, toweling off his hands and pulling a seat at the dinner table. Keith and Pidge followed, taking seats close to each other.

Lance reached for his box of take out, opening it quickly and reaching for some chopsticks. Lance wasn't a good cook, but that meant he knew the best restaurants like the back of his hand. He didn't know if the other two have ever had these noodles before, but they were the best in town, and Lance had ordered the chef specialties.

"Effective immediately," Keith told him, combing through his own box of noodles. "It took awhile to get the paperwork done, but I've had the name picked out for awhile."

"Aw, babe! So you were listening when I told you to change the name," Lance said, giving Keith a sarcastic smile. Keith resisted the urge to roll his eyed at his cockiness.

"More along the lines of new team, new name," he responded.

"Hunk is going to piss himself when he finds out," Pidge said with a devilish smile. "He'd going to love it! Also, these are the best noodles...?"

"Best Republic City has to offer," Lance winked at her, but Pidge was to preoccupied with feeding Rover chuncks of cut of noodle to catch it.

"Paladins of Voltron," Lance repeated out loud. "That's got a really nice ring to it."

  
"And then, no seriously, get this— it turned out that the sender was his brother the entire time! Not only his brother, but his twin brother! After Steven finds out, he just leaves. Forever!" Lance tells Hunk. He's laying down on Hunk's bed, a very large bed with a puffy yellow comfortable and matching decorative pillows. The bed is wide enough that even though Lance has thrown is arms out in a starfish position, he is not able to reached both corners.

"Wait wait wait," Hunk stops him. He's leaning over on his desk chair, holding his soda in between his hands gingerly. Hunk is prone to accidentally dropping them whenever the condensation made the bottles too slippery. Lance had even bought him a sippy cup one year for christmas as a joke, but it turned out that Hunk very much enjoyed that cup. "That's disgusting! That was his brother? What happened? Do they still talk even after that?"

Lance shifts his legs so that they're tucked under the quilt folded at the foot of Hunk's bed. He really missed this feeling, spending time with Hunk. It made him feel like they were both 18 years old, back when Hunk was first talking about the cute girl from the herbal shop, and Lance was persuading him to join Garrison.

"It just... Ends," Lance says in one exhaled breath.

"Are you sure that's real?" Hunk asks dubiously, swiveling around his chair to face his computer. He is typing away at a new assignment due in a few days fir Garrison, and Lance was waiting (un)patiently for him to finish so that they could start training together. Their last matches were only a few days, and Lance wanted to get in as much practice as possible.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Lance tells him, but he isn't thinking about the video anymore. His mind quickly jumps from practice, to the matches, and inevitably, Yukine. Lance almost feels light headed at the thought of having to talk to her again. What was there to say?

Hey, Yukine! Sorry to hear you dropped out, maybe next year?

Or maybe, Thanks for dropping out! You did us a real solid lol.

Lance understood why she quit; he really did. Their conversations have been elusive and even awkward, littered with reports of Yukine having been seriously hurt internally. Lance knew she had to quit, but that didn't make him feel any better. He hadn't realized how much he was looking forward to this moment until she had dropped out.

And fighting Yukine was always an excuse, really. Lance knew what was next: the champions. Three things will happen next Monday. The last two teams will face off, and the losers will fight Lance's team. If Lance and his friends won, they'd be life with the Champions: the best of the best. If they lost the first round, they'd place overall 3rd.

And 3rd wasn't bad. In fact, Lance thought maybe he'd prefer it. He was still desperate to keep himself out of the limelight. Yeah, he loved and trusted his parents, but he wasn't sure how they'd handle a secret as big as this. Keeping this secret was really Lance's way of making sure he could do something he knew he shouldn't be doing.

"What are you doing?" Hunk asked suddenly. He had long since turned away from the computer, studying Lance's face with a slight frown.

"I don't know, laying down?"

"No, you have on your brooding face. What are you thinking?" Lance puffed out his cheeks in annoyance, lifting his head to look at his friend.

"I don't have a brooding face; this is just my normal face," Lance protested. Hunk snorted.

"Yeah, and I'm the Avatar. Seriously, what's wrong?" Hunk asked. Lance opened his mouth to say something before Hunk cut him off. "And don't say nothing is wrong, I know when you're lying."

"You think you do, but you don't! How do you know I'm lying? What if I were lying my entire life, and you were accustomed to the lies, so if I told you the truth, you'd believe them as untrue."

"Lance, fucking— just tell me." When Lance did nothing but groan loudly, Hunk got up and sat on the bed perpendicular to Lance so the he was half laying on Lance's stomach. "We can play 20 questions? I guess what's wrong."

"Okay," Lance said quietly. He didn't feel like talking, but when Hunk pulled out the cuddles, that meant shit was serious.

"Is it about Keith?"

"No, actually, for once." Lance chuckled to himself. He knew that having a previously very shaky relationship with Keith wasn't very funny, but Lance didn't think he'd ever not share a problem he was having about Keith with Hunk. Hunk was like... Their marriage consoler, if that made sense.

"Garrison?" Lance shook his head.

"Pro-bending?" Lance didn't give any hint he heard this for awhile. He supposed it did have something to do with pro-bending.

"Yeah, it's about pro-bending."

"Okay, I still have what, 17 questions left?" Hunk held up his fingers, putting three down.

"16 if you count that one."

"Which we won't," Hunk said shortly, moving his hands back onto his chest. "Is it the Championship?" Lance hummed affirmatively. "Oh, are you nervous?"

"No, I'n not really nervous. But it's coming closer, and I'm still a little stuck," Lance admitted. He felt bad for making Hunk have to guess; he deserved to know. But it was hard to tell Hunk exactly what he was feeling. They have known each other for years, but Lance had never felt so boxed off from his best friend than he was feeling now. He supposed that in a way it was because he never had more friends than just Hunk. Now he had Yukine, Pidge, Keith, and even Shay to worry about. "Specifically, Yukine."

Just her name seemed to get his point across, and Hunk turned over so he was laying next to Lance instead of on him. Hunk pushed Lance to the side to make room for himself, and Lance rolled to the side like a limp doll.

"Because she dropped out? Look, even if she continued on, she just would have gotten herself hurt even more. Trust me, dude, this is for the best."

"I guess so," Lance didn't know what else to say. It was hard trying to pinpoint what exactly was making him feel the way he was feeling, so he decided to stop thinking about it. "But on an entirely different note, how was you anniversary with Shay?"

"Anniversary?" Hunk repeated. He let out a loud wheeze of air, and Lance snorted in agreement. "She's fantastic. The dating is a lot... Better than I thought it would be. But it's harder as well." Lance didn't need Hunk to explain that to him; he knew all too well what the turmoils of dating was like.

"Feels like you guys have been dating for years," Lance said quietly, closing his eyes. He realize maybe shouldn't be distracting Hunk as much as he was because the sooner Hunk finished his assignment, the sooner they'd train, and maybe then Lance would feel a little better about their chances in the next pro-bending round.

"Yeah, four months is amazing." Lance widened his eyes in surprise. Four months? It couldn't have been that long. Four months since he first met Pidge? Four months since he had gotten Keith suspended? Four months since he had gotten those burns on his arms?

It was weird, Lance supposed, in a surreal way that time seemed to be so fleeting but perpetual. Four months ago felt only like a few nights, but so much had happened to him — him personally — that it stretched even longer.

"Do you think," Lance began to ask slowly, "that maybe these past four months have been the best of your life?"

Hunk didn't answer for awhile, breathing deeply, and for a moment, Lance thought that maybe he had fallen asleep.

"Yeah," Hunk said after awhile. "I think they are. And I'm really hoping that it continues to grow, you know? I want this to go from four months to forty years."

"Are you going to put that in your vows when you get married? Tell that to your grandkids? Maybe inscribe it on your grave?" Lance asked with a short laugh. Hunk smiled and pushed him away playfully.

"You say this, but we both know you're waiting for the chance to read Keith one of your poems."

"The fact that you don't think I haven't already goes to show how much you've replace me with Shay."

"She makes, like, 75% less fart jokes than you, of course I'm going to replace you." Lance scoffed in feigned offense. Hunk just laughed, throwing an arm over Lance like a seatbelt. "You can still come to the wedding. I just can't promise you the Best Man spot."

"So you admit, you want to marry her?"

"Lance—" Hunk began, but he was too tired to finish. "Just know I'm leaning more towards Rover being my best man than you."

"Oh I see how it is, the lizard comes for four days, and suddenly I'm the mascot, and he's the team player."

"Well at least he and Keith don't argue every three minutes on whether tomatoes are fruits or vegetables."

"I told him a million times, Hunk! The law cannot decided what is and is not a fruit or vegetable! Its science, not politics!"

"You guys are emotionally draining, and I have an assignment to finish." Hunk's voice was strained as he sat up, stretching his arms above his head.

"Hurry up, it's not like they even check those assignments." Lance prompted. He reached over the bed to the nightstand, flipping through the deck of cards Hunk had left lying around. One of his sisters was extremely into magic, and in exchange for Lance doing her eyebrows, she had taught him a card trick or two. It was a lot less successful on picking up dates than he had originally thought, but he managed to wow some of his teachers into forgetting that he hadn't done his homework.

Maybe he should teach Hunk, and then they'd finally be able to go back to the arena and begin training. Somehow, Lance doubted Hunk had the steady hands to perform card slips while under pressure.

"It's been like, a month, but I might be able to help you," Lance resigns after awhile. He gets up and stalks over to the desk.

"A History of the Classification of Spirits, Issue One," Lance reads aloud. He squints at the screen, slightly too bright for his eyes. "Fuck that man, who cares, finish it later."

Lance pulls on Hunk's arm, and towards the door. Hunk lets out a weak protest, but it didn't take much to get him to reluctantly agree and leave the assignment for later. Besides, if Hunk was good at anything, it was sweet talking teachers into giving him extensions; he'd be fine.

 _Probably_.

 

Hunk bounced back a forth on his toes, his hands braced in front of him as he practiced dodges and swings. His forehead was shiny with sweat, and his feet ached from standing for so long. His heart was beating faster than he thought was healthy, but he never felt better.

His aim was becoming impeccable, and he was managing to gain hot on Lance's tail. Even Keith was visibly impressed with the progress Hunk had made with the past few weeks. His once hesitant and nervous shots were now precise and swift.

Lance had a feeling that Hunk had a long career of pro-bending ahead of him. He told Hunk as such, but Hunk wasn't too sure. Something about making a life out of being shot at by fire, water, and disc made of clay sounded... Unappealing.

Hunk took a deep breath in attempt to steady his rapidly rising chest, ducking his head down low. He was about to spare with Lance, a test of both of their speeds. Lance was working on his dodging ability; his agility left much to be desired. Hunk, on the other hand, needed to train on a moving target. At the moment, his aim would do nothing for him unless his opponent was moving the speed of an Aardvark Sloth.

From across the room, Pidge sat with Rover curled around her hand, slowly coiling up her arm like a heavy bracelet. Keith was standing next to her, his eyes trained on the other two benders. They had previously set out a few dozen discs at Hunk's disposal and rearranged the troughs so that Lance had more water within his range.

"How come you're never sparing with them?" Pidge asked him, not looking up from Rover incase he got any more ideas of flying off again. "I'd say they're almost at your level now."

Keith pursed his lips, thinking of the right thing to say. "It's not that the sparing would be unfair," he said slowly, "but those two are really synched. Half the shit they come up with they can only do together."

"So what's the deal, exactly?" Pidge asked, swinging their legs up on the bench to lean against Keith. "Now that the Paracats dropped out?"

"Everything continues as planned," Keith told her, but she could tell his voice was a little strained with stress. "Instead of a match this week, we'll go straight to the last two matches next week. The winners duke it out, we fight the loser, and if we win, we fight the winners as well. Either way, we're doing surprisingly well. Third place isn't that bad." Pidge snorted.

"How much did it hurt for you to say that?" Keith slacked against her side.

"Just a little...." Keith admitted, smiling slightly at her. It was almost like an inside joke between the two. Pidge shared Keith's impulsiveness and even his recklessness to a degree. Not to mention, they both had a small dispute with pride. This meant that they both knew how hard it was to come to terms with not being first.

From far off, Lance was watching Keith in the corner of his eye. Lance swore his attention was undivided amongst Hunk, but honestly, did anyone expect that to he true? Lance's thoughts went 30 miles a minute, and 68% of the time, they went straight to Keith.

"So, Hunk," Lance said, trying to discreetly turn his head back at Hunk. "You and Keith are friends." Hunk frowned slightly as he shifted his footing. Thrusting his arms in a upper-cut motion, he sent two fleeting discs towards Lance.

Lance cut them both down gracefully, twisting around in a circle to bring the water from behind him into a swift cut. The discs, despite being deflected, managed to nick a small portion of his shoulder and grazed his ear dangerously close. He realized maybe if he weren't talking, they wouldn't have touched him at all, but it was hard to get his brain back on track when he felt like he was swimming in countless details that flooded into his head from his surrounding environment.

"Well, yeah," Hunk agreed, albeit with slight hesitance. He took special note of the discs that did hit Lance. "I mean, we haven't hung out without you, but I'd like to think we're friends."

"So he doesn't, you know... Talk about me?" Lance asked, trying to keep his voice down.

"Um, you do remember you both are dating right?" Hunk asked, moving around the circle with his arms ready. Lance moved as well, if only to entertain the idea that he was following along.

Lance rolled his eyes before saying, "duh, I know we're dating. But like, I wanted to know if he ever spoke to you about _me_. Something he wouldn't tell me." He dropped into a crouch suddenly, twisting his arm around his head to bend the water towards him. Lunging like a swordsmen, Lance shot a thin stream of water towards Hunk. The effect was similar to a bullet: the water itself was deflected by Hunk's armor, but the sharp and sudden force made him stumble back.

"Ow," Hunk groaned, shifting his chest plate. He changed his defensive position, keeping his discs ready for defensive reflections. "The only person I know who does that is you."

"What? That's not true! You do that with Shay all the time," Lance argued. He ran along the edge of their imaginary circle, drawing with him a large bubble of water. Almost like he was kicking the water at Hunk like a soccer ball, he bended the water to hit the opposing Earthbender like a water canon. He tried not to think about the fact Yukine had taught him this, and that she wouldn't be able to teach him anything for awhile.

Hunk managed to dodge most of the attack, but his arm got caught in the blast, almost knocking him over completely. He leaned forward to regain his balance, breathing heavily.

"Trust me, everything you hear me say about Shay goes straight to her. You know, communication and all."

"Communication?" Lance repeated thoughtfully. Did he and Keith communicate well? He would like to think so, but some part in the back of his head was nagging him that the two of them had quite a lot of hushed up problems.

Hunk took advantage of Lance's momentary distraction. Systematically, he sent four consecutive discs. One hit Lance's left foot, making him wobble. The other was aimed not for his head, but next to it. Lance jerked to the side, and lost his balance quickly. The final two clay discs planted themselves straight into his chest and stomach.

Hunk almost felt bad for that total whip out. Lance was stumbling back so quickly he managed to trip over his over water trough, and fell straight into the bending water, water Hunk was sure hadn't been changed in a very long while.

Lance looked extremely dejected; his wet hair matted around his eyes, dripping water down his nose and onto his lips. Lance groaned loudly, tiredly leaning back and accepting the fate Hunk had dealt him. The water rose up to his neck and he sunk his, huffing impatiently.

"Lance! Pay attention," Keith scolded from his seat, looking like he was having a fun day talking to Pidge and relaxing. Lance turned to glare at Hunk.

"I can't believe you took advantage of me — your best friend — like that. So uncalled for," he grumbled, struggling to get up from the trough.

"You needed a wash anyways, you stink," Hunk said coyly, walking over to pull Lance up.

"What?" Lance asked with wide eyes. Did he stink? Panic flooded his mind. Oh my god, he thought, I was standing around Keith all day! What if he thinks I smell? Why if he dumps me? What if he tells me to move ou—

"Yeah, you reek of love and infatuation." Hunk stifled a laugh, watching Lance's worried face melt into a glare.

"Remind me why we're friends again?"

"I ask myself that question everyday."

 

 

 

"Do we communicate?"

Keith looked up from his book to see Lance leaning against his doorway. He had just taken a shower, and his hair was still wet. The brown seemed to turn golden in the dim light of Keith's lamp. Drops of water slide down strands of his hair and fell onto the floor, and Keith couldn't explain the fascination the water held—besides the fact that Lance looked really good after showers.

Keith cleared his throat loudly to get his thoughts collected. "What?"

Lance shifted the weight from one foot to another, looking at Keith with an inquisitive stare that almost made him squirm. Eventually, Lance walked into the room and fell onto the bed, looking at Keith with a unsettling quietness.

"You know, like feelings and stuff."

"Feelings?" Keith repeated, not bothering to mask his questioning face.

"Yeah, couples do that, right?" Keith still wasn't used to being called a couple, and hearing Lance say that made his breath stall. On Lance's lips, it sounded natural and real, but whenever Keith said it, it was choked and forced. He was almost jealous of how at ease Lance could be with him.

"I don't know, maybe?" Keith answered. He didn't have a real answer for Lance, but he could tell that Lance was looking for one. "Why, do you want to talk about something?"

Lance pursed his lips and moved them around thoughtfully. Keith wondered if he did it on purpose, knowing that Keith would undoubtably follow the motion with his eyes.

After a few seconds, Lance turned on his side to face Keith. Keith was cushioned by his pillows, and he realized that maybe he should offer one to Lance. Without thinking, he patted spot next to him, a habit from when he and Shiro used to sleep together as kids. Lance didn't give it a second thought, only shuffling closer and laying down. He wasn't quite on the bed, but he wasn't quite off it, either. His legs were still slumped to the ground, and Keith did remark on how uncomfortable he looked.

"I don't know," Lance admitted. "I guess there's a lot to talk about, but it doesn't really seem all that important." He sighed, and Keith could feel his warm breath on his arms, making his hairs stand on end.

Keith closed his book and put it on the nightstand, sinking lower into the bed to face Lance. "Is it about the competition?" He asked. Lance shook his head.

"Garrison?" Keith saw the wheels turning in Lance's head. Lance looked up at him with big eyes, dark underneath the shade of his eyelashes. Again, Keith felt his throat close up. Being this close to Lance was practically intoxicating.

Lance shifted his body so that his knees were brushing against Keith's. "Yeah," his voice was soft with sleep, and Lance looked ready to pass out at any moment. Keith felt tired, too. The hallway and kitchen was completely dark, save for the glow of the oven clock, and where the glow of his lamp stopped was a golden stillness that gave Keith the feeling that he was already dreaming. Lance was like a dream, too, Keith supposed. He had the uncertainty of a dream. Keith could never be able to guess what Lance was doing or thinking, and he found that to be comforting, especially now when Lance's face was blank and peaceful, and his eyes were closed and fluttered lightly every few seconds.

Just when Keith thought that maybe Lance had fallen asleep, Lance spoke up again. "Can you believe how much we were missing? We went to school together for three years. I sat next to you for three years."

Keith almost regretted that, as well. If he had made friends with Lance much sooner, than he was almost certain his life would have taken an entirely different course. Keith actually found himself debating whether he'd give up what they'd had the past four months for the future of what could have happened the past four years. They'd both be going to Garrison, Keith probably would have never started pro-bending, and maybe Lance would have convinced him to join a few show-bending competitions.

Something about that was too much for Keith to think about. More time together, but the essence of who they were would be different, almost too different.

Keith smiled at Lance. "It was a rough start." He blamed that entirely on himself, although he knew Lance would gladly take half the blame. Lance did get them in trouble, but what Keith did to Lance... He would never forgive himself for that. "Lance, you said you wanted to talk, and I really need to tell you something."

Lance cracked his eyes for only a moment, and Keith shuddered underneath them. For a moment, all Keith could see was Lance's mother, calculating and observant. But Lance closed his eyes again, lifting hand to press it to Keith's cheek.

"I know what you're going to say," he murmured softly. Keith's eyes flickered between Lance's own, and he felt his heart rate increase. "I forgave you a long time ago, Keith."

"But I never got to say sorry," Keith protested, pulling away from Lance's hand. Lance turned on his back, his eyes open and much more alert. "I need to apologize. I want to."

"Yeah, but will it make a difference?" Lance asked. Keith propped himself up on the bed with his elbows.

"Yes, it makes a difference!"

"I get it, Keith," Lance said softly. Keith felt sick. How was he supposed to apologize to Lance for what he did, for hurting him, when Lance was still trying to reassure him and help him? "But I already know you're sorry. I can see it. I let go, and you should, too. The shame your feeling... It's not good for you."

Keith almost laughed. Lance was concerned for his health. God, why did he have to be so selfless? He was making this much more difficult on Keith than Keith had hoped it would be.

"Lance, you don't have to pretend that it's okay," Keith told him. He lowered himself down back on the bed, staring up at the dusty ceiling. Before Lance could speak, Keith interjected again. "I know you haven't show anyone your scars. I know you hate them."

"I don't hate them," Lance said. He didn't say anything more, and Keith felt a little hallowed out. When Lance said he wanted to communicate, Keith had no idea that this is what he meant. Well, in a way, this was all Keith's doing. "Do you want to see them?"

Keith turned his head to look at Lance, and Lance had turned as well. Keith swallow thickly, looking in between Lance's eyes and his arms. After a few seconds, Keith nodded. Lance sat up, pulling up the sleeves of his pajamas and bore his wrists to Keith. The last time Keith had seen them, they looked horrible enough to make him sick to his stomach. They were healed a lot better now, but Keith still felt sick.

 _I did this_ , he thought, hesitantly reaching out to touch Lance's arms. The skin that was unscarred was smooth and dark, beautiful in Keith's opinion. The scars were not smooth or dark, but rather pink and red, raggedy and bumpy like a terrain on a map. Keith touched it gingerly, almost afraid that if he did touch him, he would hurt him, or worse, burn him all over again.

Keith trailed a single finger on his wrists, and he could tell clearly from the singe marks just how hot his flames were, how Lance had put up his arms in defense, and he could even tell how the wind was blowing that day by how the scars wrapped around his wrists.

"It doesn't hurt," Lance assured him. Keith didn't have the guts to look at him. He didn't know what was worse, the guilt he felt or the shame. "And I don't want to show people. These scars... They changed my life. They changed my life for the better Keith. I wouldn't trade them for anything. But it's personal. For me, and for you, too." Lance once again guided his hand to Keith's face in attempt to capture his gaze, but Keith could only see the burns inches from his face. His breathing became ragged and his nose stung. _I did this, I did this, I did this_ —

"Lance, I—" he croaked. His throat hurt and seemed to close around a sharp rock.

He finally met Lance's face. His entire body froze instantly. He... He was smiling? That was the final straw for Keith before he started bawling his eyes out. Four months of repressed feelings of guilt and shame, built behind a dam of apathy, was broken. Keith grabbed Lance roughly, wrapping his arms underneath his shoulders and burying his face in his shoulders. He didn't care how unattractive he looked or how damp he was making Lance's shoulder as he sobbed and rubbed tears and snot all over his boyfriend. All he cared about was what Lance was feeling right then and there, and Keith knew in the second that he'd do anything to make Lance happy.

Lance's hand met the back of Keith's head, guiding him softly back onto the bed so that Keith could cry against his chest. "It's okay, Keith." He whispered, but that only made Keith cry more.

"I'm so sorry, Lance, I did this to you—" Keith felt Lance's hum through his chest, and it was a nice feeling.

"I think I deserved it, if only a little," Keith thought that Lance deserved the world, not these scars that would stay with him the rest of his life. "Keith, trust me. If I didn't think you were an amazing person, I wouldn't be here right now. And I am because of that—because you _are_ amazing."

Keith didn't say anything back, but his hold on Lance tightened, and eventually his cries were subsided to a few sniffs and dried tear streaks. Lance waited it out with him, brushing his fingers through Keith's hair, sometimes humming a song to distract Keith, or he'd wipe at Keith's eyes. Whatever Keith did to deserve Lance, he knew it still wasn't enough. This moment, a breaking point for Keith, was also one of the best moments of his life. Feeling his regret and hurt and shame be cleansed with his tears left him exhausted but satisfied. Hugging Lance this close gave him comfort he hadn't felt since his parents moved back to the fire nation, since he had last seen Shiro a year ago.

"Go to sleep, Keith," Lance said softly, and Keith was eager to oblige. Sleep sounded good, and sleeping in Lance's arm sounded even better. "I'll still be here."

Lance continued to brush hair out of Keith's face, his fingers sometimes skimmed his forehead and making his skin tingle. But the exhaustion of crying for almost an hour was too much, and before he knew it, Keith had fallen asleep. Lance pulled the covers over them, and neither of them bothered with the light.

Lance wrapped his arms protectively around Keith. Closing his eyes once more, Lance let himself fall asleep, pulling Keith even closer. It was weird, at first, with their unsynchronized breathing, pushing against each other. Lance could swear he felt Keith's heart beat through his chest, and he knew it was his own because this heart beat was slow and steady, unlike Lance's frantic one.

But eventually, Lance's breath evened out, and his heart slowed down. It was the first time in awhile Lance had slept with someone, the last probably being his brother a few years back. But sharing a bed with his brother was nothing like sleeping with Keith, and Lance preferred Keith much more than Iluak.

"Goodnight, tigershark," Lance mumbled one last time, and if Keith answered him, he wouldn't have known because he finally fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Hunk. I know this is a Klance fic and all, but he's going to be in here all the time forever because I love him. He's so hard to write for??? Like I too have uncontrolable amounts of anxiety and a habit if saying things without thinking, but holy crude its so hard. I love him tho. He's so funny,,,, so good,,,,


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys this is almost like 100k words... this is sooo much longer than i expected it to be ;-;
> 
> Also quick reminder that I love the Bei Fong family and I would marry all of them. 
> 
>  
> 
> my timeline is going to hate me...

"You should bring your brother to the next match! I know he doesn't really know me all too well, but hey, pro-bending is kind of everyone's thing!"

Shay looked up from the pills she was crushing in a mortar. With quick precision, she dumped the powder into a beaker, mixing in some water to turn it into a opaque liquid. She gave Hunk an apologetic smile.

"My brother is not one for pro-bending, Hunk. I apologize, but it's doubtful that he'd ever come." Hunk leaned onto the counter of Shay's family herbal shop, propping his head on his hands to gaze up at her.

She was wearing a black apron over the dark green shirt she wore. In white threat, the characters for the name of the family shop were perfectly stitched into the pocket of her apron. _Balmera's Herbs and Recipes_ , it was called. Shay usually worked the counter in the mornings, and her brother during the afternoon; however, today her brother had to go out and meet with a local healer, and Shay had offered to take up his shift in his absence. Thus, Hunk had taken it upon himself to relieve the tiredness his girlfriend was no doubt feeling after a very long day.

While Shay was working with the medicines and remedies, Hunk was picking up some undone chores around the shop like rearranging and organizing the many recipe books that were sold on an old wooden bookshelf. Some of the books looked familiar, like cookbooks he may have seen lying around once or twice when he used to volunteer at a local soup kitchen. Those looked welcoming and homey, similar to something he'd expect his grandmother to have in her cupboards.

Others he recognized from the Garrison and Lance. These were a bit more scientific and bending-oriented. Many dealt with the coupling of herbs and healing, while some went into in-depth research on the weird chemicals and properties that made up plants and fungi.

Hunk knew Lance was into this kind of stuff, or the healing aspect at the very least, so when he opened up one he recognized from having bought it for Lance a few months ago on his birthday, he was a taken back but how much in it was almost like an entirely different language. A lot of talk about chi, energy, and chemistry, and Hunk was left to ponder what half of the instructions for the recipies even meant.

Normally Hunk loved Chemistry, but this was a bit much, even for him. There was never any point in an earthbender learning healing, and Hunk, despite realizing that something such as this could be extremely interesting to pick up, was getting a headache from all the talk about spirits and chakras.

He decided not to open anymore books after that, and was glad when he finally finished putting them all back on the shelves. His next task involved cleaning the dishes that Shay had used that morning. His job was to wash them out, dry them, and put them away. It was by far the best job in the shop because at the very least, he was able to stand next to Shay while he did it.

Sometimes when she handed him a dirty dish, he'd grab her hand softly, trying out one of Lance's pick-up lines. They'd both laugh at these, and Hunk saw the reason just as to why Lance liked using them so often.

As Shay finished one of the last batches of the night, Hunk took to wiping down the counters. This is when he brought up the next match he'd be playing in. It was only a few short days away. In three days, he'd be playing the biggest match of his life—and it was only his second. He knew Shay was going to be there, along with Pidge. They would watch from the stands, and Hunk had asked Keith to pull some strings with some people he knew and get them front row seats, as close as possible. But he asked Keith for three tickets, not two.

"Has Rax ever been to a game before?" Hunk asked her as she pulled a new syringe from a cabinet filled with beakers, weights, and other equipment behind her. Shay frowned slightly in concentration; her tongue stuck out slightly, and Hunk had half a mind to go over there and kiss away her concentration. The other half of his mind knew he probably shouldn't do that while Shay was working with a needle.

Shay put the syringe in the milky water, measuring a small amount and making sure there were no chunks of pill dust clumped together. Satisfied with the amount, she opened a small clear bottle and squirted the medicine inside, screwing the top closed tightly. Finally, she turned to him.

"I think he may had gone once when he was a child with our grandmother," she told him, reaching around him for a pad of blank labels and a pen. She peeled one off and wrapped it around her bottle, scribbling characters on it swiftly. "Any other occasion I am unsure about."

Hunk reached into his pocket and brought out two of the three tickets. He'd have to see Pidge later today to give them their ticket. "I got him a ticket."

Shay looked at him with a curious smile, gently taking his hands into her own. They were slightly larger than his own, and they were a lot warmer. Shay leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Hunk's lips and closing her eyes.

"You did not have to do that," she said once she opened her eyes again. Hunk felt like he was blushing like a mad man with her so close to him. It was hard to concentrate on her words when he saw all the freckles painted on her face. He had never taken the time to count them; some were too tiny to actually count, but sometimes when she was still enough, he tried. Right now wasn't the time to start counting, but Hunk couldn't find any words to say. _Holy heck, she is amazing_ , was all he could think.

"I, uh—" he cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "I wanted to, you know... Impress him?" Shay looked at him gloomily. Hunk had only met Rax a handful of times despite Shays attempts to get the two to spend time together. Hunk knew Rax was an extremely important person in Shay's life, and he wanted his approval, but no matter what he did, he couldn't manage to get on Rax's good side.

Shay knew her brother was difficult. It was like him to be cold towards everyone. He was mistrustful, especially in regards with his sister. He trusted Shay, of course, but he didn't trust any of her friends.

"You need not worry about my brother, Hunk. I know that he thinks you are a good person." She said softly, pressing her hand to his cheek. Hunk sighed, leaning into it.

"Yeah, I guess so," he closed his eyes for moment in thought. "Take these tickets anyways." Shay looked towards him, her eyes flickering between his own. Slowly, she took one ticket from his hand.

"I love my brother," she says slowly, "but let's keep this between us. It is... Special. I want to be there to support you, not to prove your validation to my brother. I know you are good, and he does, too."

Hunk knew what she was saying, and he respected her for it. She was doing this on her own, and she wasn't asking for her brothers blessing—not with this. But he was also slightly disappointed.

Hunk nodded anyways. He promised himself he would impress Rax no matter what, but for now, he was going to comply with Shay's wishes.

"Thank you for the ticket," Shay added again. She dipped her head down to kiss Hunk again, but before she could, there was the sound of a bell. Shay whipped her head around, narrowly missing taking off Hunk's nose with her. It was a customer, approaching the counter with his head bowed and fingers typing away at the screen of his phone.

Shay broke away from Hunk, grabbing the bottle she had finished just minutes ago. She placed it inside a brown baggie, rolling the top tight securely. The customer looked up from his phone, smiling at Shay when he took the bag, and turned back to the door, eyes flickering back to the screen.

Hunk glanced at Shay curiously as she went to working on a new batch, and took the old dish from underneath her. When she looked up at him to say that you, he met her lips with his own. She was shocked, but in a matter of moments, she relaxed and laughed against his face.

Hunk should offer to work at the shop more often. As long as he didn't read too many books, there were way more pros than cons.

The only problem was when another customer came in to collect their remedy. Shay had a beet red face when she tried to explain that she would only take another few minutes, and that she was sorry for the delay. Hunk was embarrassed, too. They had been so caught in making out that they had actually forgotten that they were supposed to working.

Hunk was really starting to love the idea of working here.

 

It was Saturday night, and Lance was so tired from training all day, he was tempted to call off the weekly "Night on the Town". Instead, he invited all his friends over for dinner so that he didn't actually have to get dressed. Not to mention that he needed to start saving his money. His and Keith's bills were due soon. The money he would make on Monday would be enough to cover it, but for now, his bank account was fast fleeing, and he didn't think he could afford another fancy meal at the jazz house with the pretty singer.

While Keith had been out getting groceries for the dinner, Lance was left to loiter at home. He would have come with Keith, but he had another weekly due that had not paid in awhile.

Was it rude to refer to calling his mom a weekly due? Probably.

Lance glanced at his phone. He really loved his mother, but talking to her was an easy way to spend over an hour just shuffling around the house and getting nothing done. He guessed he should just bite the bullet now rather than late at night and have to stay up till midnight. Besides, he hadn't called her since Pidge came to eat dinner with them, and Lance knew he owed his mom an hour phone call at the very least.

Dialing the number from memory, Lance waited with the phone pressed to his ear. It took a few rings, but eventually, someone picked up the other line.

"What?" He knew immediately that it was his younger sister, Ashuna. His face twisted slightly. She wasn't always rude to him. In fact, he'd say that he was her favorite older sibling. They had a lot in common. The most being they both had very large egos, but his sister would never betray the fact that she actually liked one of her siblings.

"It's Lance—"

"I know; caller ID." Right, caller ID.

"You don't have to be rude, Ashuna. Why do you have mom's phone?" He asked. He heard her get up from her bed, and he was probably put on speaker phone by the sounds of her bounding down the stairs and into the living room where the TV was playing a really loud show.

"Hey," he heard her say faintly, "why do you have mom's phone?" Lance could hear his younger brother, Kinto, on the phone. Kinto was a lot louder than Ashuna, and Lance could hear him clearly through the phone.

"She gave it to me. She said I could download some games, but if I wanted to buy it, I had to ask you."

"Did you hear that?" Ashuna asked Lance on the phone.

"Yeah, I heard. Where's mom? She wanted me to call her every Saturday." He could hear the sound of Ashuna's bare feet slapping on the floor of the stairs, and Ashuna sounded out of breath when she spoke again.

"I don't know, jeez. She said something about a meeting, but I was at Chey's house all day, and I literally just got home."

"Meeting?" Meetings weren't good. "What for?" Holy shit, did they find him out? Did they uncover his secret? Maybe someone saw him, recognized him while he was pro-bending.

"Probably about the Goaldies or Gonra or whatever. What are they called again? They were talking about it at school today."

"The Galra?" Lance asked carefully. She hummed in response, and Lance sat down on the couch; his legs were too tired from pacing to stand on their own.

"Dad says that they're making big trouble back in the capital and that he's going up in like, five weeks. They're having a big convening. Do you think Dad will take me? I could skip school and stuff." Lance already knew his dad was going up, but he didn't think it'd be so soon. It usually took a while for all the Nobles and higher up's to convene in one place now that they were stretched all over the globe. Five weeks seemed really rushed, and Lance realized the urgency.

"Dad's not going to take you; you're too young," Lance said shortly. He didn't want to mention the fact that she was not a noble like all her older siblings were. Ashuna and Misu were born in Republic City and had their nobility status revoked. Kinto was adopted while they lived in Republic City, so he was also denied nobility status as well. Thus, none of them would be allowed on a Northern Water Tribe council meeting.

"Not if I can convince him. Besides, if he gets to take Iluak, Ahnah, you, and Hotah, why can't he take me and Misu? It's not like were not old enough. Plus, we've never been to the North Pole, so we should be able to see it."

"You're pleading your case to the wrong sibling, Ashuna. I wasn't even planning on going."

"Well of course not, you're lucky enough to actually be born in the North Pole, but the rest of us didn't get to see it!"

"Just ask dad. If mom says it's okay, he'll take you."

"I've already tried asking dad, but he went on and on about how the council is boring, and we're discussing mature things, serious problems, blah blah," Lance didn't want to be the one to tell her how serious the problems were, that people in their city and all over the world were going missing or worse.

"Look, just tell mom I called and tell her to call me." He told her again.

"Hey, you never visit us! Why not? Like I know you moved in with your boyfrie—" Lance choked on his own gasp of air.

"ASHUNA WHO TOLD YOU THAT?" He yelled. Ashuna had the nerve to actually laugh.

"Mom told me! Wait, I gotta go. I think Kinto just broke the cuckoo clock." And a lot fainter he heard  "stop breaking shit, Kinto! You're going to get me in trouble!"

She hung up, leaving Lance to gape at his phone as if it were the device talking to him instead of his sister.

"Oh my god, mom!" He groaned, tugging at his hair. The day she fails to embarrass him will be the day that Lance dies. Actually, scratch that, as long as Sedna is living, she will continue to embarrass Lance.

Lance slid his hands over his face. Bone tired just didn't cut it when describing how he felt. Why again was he so eager to keep up Night on the Town tradition? All he wanted to do was lay down — preferably with Keith — and fall asleep.

Lance tossed around the couch when he remembered sleeping with Keith a few days ago. He hadn't really intended for anything that night to happen, but some part of him was glad it did. He didn't bother covering his scars anymore; at least not around Keith, and already he's slipped into Keith's bed the past three nights and gotten away with it. If Keith wasn't complaining, neither was he.

In some weird way, sleeping with Keith reminded Lance of sleeping with his mom. When he was younger, Lance used to sleep with his mom, brothers, and sister all at once. Usually they did this if their dad was away for a long while and if his mom was nervous that maybe someone would try to break in at night. When he was sleeping with Keith, he felt like he was that same kid. His fears melted away, and he hugged Keith close enough that their conjoined warmth made them feel like a single person.

Lance smiled when thinking about his family, but thinking of this made Lance remember his mom putting a bolt on her bedroom door "just incase". She would never let them sleep alone, even when Iluak turned 14 and demanded he be left alone. Now that the Galra are in their city, it's easier for Lance to imagine just why his mom locked their doors so tightly at night.

Lamce rubbed his sore eyes, wondering about his mom. She was at a meeting? In Republic City? That was pretty rare, and Lance had a feeling it was because things were getting especially heated. He hadn't told his parents about when those two Galra men had attacked him and Keith nearly three weeks ago, and he realized there was no point in telling them. Chances were that they knew fairly how bad things were getting, and Lance didn't want them to worry about him on top of that.

But maybe he should tell them. They needed to know that if one person in their family had been threatened, all of them could. He needed to make sure that Ashuna, Misu, and Kinto wouldn't be hurt. Iluak and Ahnah could take care of themselves, probably even better than Lance could take care of himself, but his younger siblings were a different story.

He needed to call Hotah, too. Hotah was living deep in the Earth Kingdom while studying writing, and Lance wanted to make sure that the city he lived in was anti-Galra. Hotah was kind of a nerd, so Lance was sure he'd be able to stay in his lane for time being. Although, now that he thought about it, Hotah was more similar to Keith than he was Lance in the sense that his brooding nature always caused trouble to gravitate towards them, and that only made Lance worry more.

Lance was so anxious thinking about the Galra that when he heard the doorknob and lock giggle on the front door, he flung himself off the couch and tripped on his feet. Trying to recover quickly, Lance grabbed the canteen of water off the coffee table, throwing it over his head and around his waist.

The door opened slowly, and Lance held out his hands in preparation.

"Hey, I'm—" Keith said, leaning backwards against the door with an armful of groceries. His mouth froze open when he turned around to notice Lance crouched down in a bending position, looking like he was ready to attack him at any given second. "Are we having a spontaneous training session? If we are, I think I'll have to put these down first."

Lance sighed in relief, straightening his back and strolling over to Keith. He took the bags away from them and set them on the table so that he could hug Keith tightly.

"I missed you," he mumbled. What he really meant was 'I was thinking about the Galra, and I thought they were here to kill me, and if they did, that would suck because I really want to spend the rest of my life with you'. But that sounded like it took a bit too much energy to articulate, so he settled with a summary.

"I was gone less than an hour," Keith tells him, but he doesn't pass up the opportunity to hug him back. He also doesn't comment on the fact that Lance missing him and Lance almost attacking him were kind of two different things.

"I know, but it felt like forever." Keith pulled back, poking his boyfriend's nose.

"Well, maybe you should have used forever to clean the living room like I asked."

"Babe," Lance whined with an exaggerated 'e'. "Don't make me clean, please."

Keith picked up the discarded bags and handed one to Lance. "Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do to survive."

"Survive what? An ant invasion? A few pieces of popcorn never hurt anybody."

"Mice? Rats? Mold? Cockroaches? I highly doubt you'd survive those." Lance opened his mouth to argue, but Keith did have a point.

"Okay, you're right. But trust me when I say I rather do this than clean," Keith looked up at him to ask was 'this' meant when he was met with Lance's bright blue eyes inches away from his own. It was so sudden, Keith almost jerked his head back and tripped on his own feet.

With slight hesitation, Lance leaned forward so that they're lips were almost touching; close enough that Keith could feel his warm breath mixing with his own, somehow making the uncomfortable heat bearable and even slightly intoxicating. "Can I kiss you?" He asked suddenly and rushed.

Keith found it hard to respond when he had to bite his lip to keep himself from kissing Lance instantly. Instead of talking, he nodded and leaned forward, his eyes sliding close slowly as he moved forward. Keith's breath became hushed, and he parted his lips slightly just as they leaned in.

Out of nowhere, there was a knock at the door.

Lance groaned, resting his forehead against Keith's. "Quiznak, if that's Hunk..."

"Hunk is with Shay till seven," Keith told him softly, slightly amused. There was another knock, louder and harder. Lance looked at the door, slightly confused. "Maybe it's Pidge?" There was, again, another knock. Lance pursed his lips, moving away from Keith to answer it.

"Maybe," Lance agreed softly before unlocking the door and opening it. From the kitchen, Keith saw Lance's body go ridged with surprise and nervousness. Frowning, Keith made his way over to him, glancing around his broad shoulders to whoever was at the door.

"Evening, gentlemen. I'm officer Gallager, and we need to talk. May I come in?" Keith glanced at the shiny badge on his chest. Right when he was about to ask the officer what they needed to talk about, Lance nodded and stepped aside. The officer nodded solemnly and walked inside.

Keith was wary of the officer. He frequented the streets, and pro-bending was sometimes mucky, so he knew the ins and outs when it came to officers. Not to mention he had a very long and recently hostile relationship with cops. Why the officer wanted to talk to Keith and Lance certainly wasn't good news, and that made Keith anxious.

Keith leaned against the breakfast bar, biting his lip softly. Lance looked even more worried than Keith, and Keith had a feeling that Lance had never spoken to a police officer before.

"Is something wrong?" Lance asked, his voice slightly shaky. Keith resisted the urge to tell Lance to go to his room, and that Keith would take care of it. But judging by his stance, Keith knew Lance was just as curious as he was nervous.

"25 days ago, you and Keith Kogane gave two statements about a hate crime. From two men affilated with the group, the Galra?" Keith stood up suddenly. He stepped forward next to Lance so that he could see the officer better.

"Yeah, those jerks tried to kill me!" Lance said loudly, but as if remembering who he was talking to, he looked a little abashed and added a much quieter, "what about them?"

"Their trial was just this afternoon." He said it with a blank face, and Lance didn't know what to draw from it.

"Oh... So you want us to testify or—" Lance began, but Keith interrupted him with a cold stare directed at Officer Gallagar. He had a feeling he knew what Gallagar was trying to say.

"They dropped the charges, didn't they?" He said flatly. The officer looked at them apologetically before nodding.

"Insufficient evidence and lack of motive. Not enough witnesses," he said it quietly. "They're being released soon." Lance's mouth flung open.

"Insufficient... Insufficient! I have evidence! I was there when he tried to cut my throat open! Keith was there; why didn't we testify?"

"It was considered biased."

"Biased?" Lance repeated, and he seemed to grow quiet with anger. Keith looked surprisingly calm, and Lance had to admit he was bothered by how nonchalant Keith was about this. He simply crossed his arms and stared at Gallagar, and Lance had the urge to repeat everything to Keith, remind him that these were the people who were trying to kill him just for being a waterbender.

"Look," the officer said, and his shoulders slumped like he was tired. "I know what it's like. My wife is from the Southern Water Tribe, and I'm just as scared as you. But I will get to the bottom of this; I assure you."

Keith didn't buy it, but Lance did.

"If you want my personal opinion—" _We don't_ , Keith thought somewhat bitterly. "I think the jury were almost entirely comprised of Galra enthusiasts. The Galra are obviously in the judicial system, and I can't say it surprises me as much as I wished it did."

"So they're back? What if they hurt someone?" Lance asked, frowning. Why was he the only one getting angry here? Keith was always ready to fight someone, so why he is so calm?

"Look, I can't tell you too much because this has landed in a much bigger pile that's a little more confidential. I just thought I should tell you guys to keep you informed in your case." _Our case? Were people trying to withhold information from us? Did the Galra run deeper than just streets thugs?_ "Make sure you're careful. Thank you for your time." Gallagar nodded at the both of them, almost like he were indifferent to the turmoil he just opened up like a giant party popper of shit. Stiffly, he put his hat back on. Opening the door, he gave the two one last pitiful look before walking out and closing the door behind him.

When he was gone, Lance whipped around. "They can't be serious," he said quietly. Keith was still glaring at the door. He never really trusted cops, but right now, he had bigger fish to fry. Turning around, Keith stalked back into the kitchen to start making dinner.

"What are you doing?" Lance asked incredulously.

"Making dinner," Keith replied normally, pulling grocery items out of the brown paper bags.

"Dinner?" Lance asked, and he was annoyed by how much he had to repeat himself in the past ten minutes.

"Yes. Hunk, Shay, and Pidge will be here in a few hours." Lance walked into the kitchen, following closely behind Keith. Keith wasn't looking at him, and Lance was growing increasingly frustrated. Was it wrong to feel like this? Is that why Keith was so calm? Was Lance just overreacting?

"Keith, did you not hear him? Those guys... They tried to kill us! One of them almost did kill me!" Keith paused for a moment, but after the slight hesitation, he resumed moving. When he reached for the kitchen draw, Lance leaned against it in attempt to get Keith to look at him.

"Keith, please look at me," he said this much softer than his other words. Lance was kind of hurt that Keith was being so.... Calm. It confused Lance to no end. Did he just not care?

Keith looked up at him, and Lance felt his mouth go dry. He remembered the night that it happened, remembered when they had finally made it back to their apartment, when Keith had hugged him. If that was anger back then, Lance didn't know what to call this. His eyes were terrifying, the color of a violent tornado. The clench in his jaw was enough to make Lance know just exactly what Keith was feeling. Keith was angry, and it was scary.

"Keith," Lance said softly, placing his hands on Keith's shoulders. "It's going to be alright. Promise me you won't do anything... Drastic..." How was he supposed to word this? All he knew was that if he were Galra, the last thing he'd want would to be found out by Keith Kogane.

"I'm not," Keith said evenly, turning back to the draw, and Lance moved away from it easily. He grabbed some utensil, but Lance was too focused on Keith to see what it was.

"Look," Lance said, trying to grasp the words to comfort Keith. They were both upset, and Lance didn't want that. Not today at the very least. "I know this is a little absurd, but I think we should ignore this." Keith turned to Lance, his face knit with confusion and slight offense. "We have the two biggest matches of our life in two days. We need to concentrate. Let the police handle this."

"The police can't even find their own asses, how are they supposed to find the Galra?" Keith asked bitterly. He felt his face flush with heat, and Lance actually took this as a sign that maybe he was calming down. "They never did me any good; in fact, I'd say they did a whole lot of shit! If it wasn't for them, then he wouldn't be—" Keit stopped abruptly when his hand touched the hot burner, wincing loudly.

"Keith, calm down," Lance told him firmly, pushing him against the kitchen counter. Keith glared at the burn on his hand, and Lance knew that the burn had brought him back from seeing red. Lance turned on the kitchen tab and ran his hand underneath the water. With it, he bended the water into the air and with the other hand, he turned the water off.

He cradled Keith's burnt hand in his own. Lowering the water onto the burn, Lance moved it slowly around Keith's hand. It glowed brightly before the light faded, revealing even toned skin that was soft and new. Lance quickly directed the water back into the sink, and before Keith could pull away, Lance clasped their hands together.

"Keith," he said firmly. "It'll be alright. Trust me." Keith looked at him for a long moment, his eyes flickering back and forth between Lance's two. Eventually, he nodded.

Tiredly, Keith bowed his head until it was resting on Lance's collarbone, and despite the heavy air, Lance smiled. "I'm so exhausted," Keith mumbled softly. Lance dragged a lazy hand throw Keith hair, nodding in agreement.

"I know, but soon, we'll have won the season as champions. After that, our lives with be smooth sailing. I can feel it," he smiled at Keith, pulling himself away by Keith's waist. "But for now, let's get ready for everyone else."

 

 

Hunk's fingers glossed over Lance's phone. He was only borrowing it for a moment, and he didn't think Lance would mind too much. It wasn't like he was snooping; he was just trying to be nice, and to do that, Hunk needed to use Lance's phone.

Besides, Lance was too busy swimming in Keith's eyes (he never thought he'd see the day when Lance's goggling was reciprocated) to notice that Hunk had left for the living room with his phone. Hunk was little bothered that Lance had paid him no heed when Hunk had managed to sneak Lance's phone. Keith had given him a curious look, but when Hunk shrugged it off, Keith went back to talking to Lance without concern. Maybe Keith would mind was Hunk was doing, but Hunk was doing something nice, so he'd apologize to Keith later.

Scrolling discreetly through Lance's contacts, Hunk had an eye out in case Pidge or Shay had noticed he had gone suspiciously quiet.

Hunk's fingers brushed over the names. He hoped he could find the right name and not one of the emoticons Lance somehow memorizes for certain individual people. If he did only have emoticons, then Hunk was slightly screwed.

Thankfully, Hunk found the name he was looking for. He clicked on 'Yukine', and her information was brought up instantly. Hunk opened their conversation, promising not to read their text messages (if he did, it was by accident. But he also needed context... Okay, so he read a lot, but it wasn't the first time Hunk had read Lance's messages. Lance was particular fond of some and insisted they be read).

**Hey, this is Hunk! I was wondering if youd were going to watch this mondays match if ur not too hurt or busy**

Sent. Step one: complete. Step two: wait.

Like he said, Keith wasn't going to be very pleased. But Hunk wanted to be nice to her. If Rax wasn't going to use his ticket, Hunk might as well offer it to Yukine. Even if she had tickets, Hunk doubted they'd be as good as the ones Keith had gotten.

A minute later, Yukine responded.

**Yukine: I'm thinking about jt**

Hunk began typing a new message about the spare ticket, his fingers flying fast when Lance called his name in question. Hunk rambled off an excuse quickly, but Lance didn't look too convinced. Lance's phone buzzed again, and Hunk saw Yukine had sent another message.

**Yukine: does Lance want me there?**

Hunk hesitated for a moment. It was his idea to invite her, but telling her that Lance wasn't even thinking of offering sounded slightly cruel.

**He'd love if you came to support our team, we all would**

**we have a really good ticket if you want it front row with shay and pidge**

"Seriously, Hunk," Lance called loudly from the kitchen table, just now finishing the rest of his curry. "Stop being so anti-social and come sit with us."

"Okay, I'll be there in a few, just texting my mom."

"Mama Garett? Tell her I said hello, and that I love and miss her very much." Lance told him. Hunk waved at him in affirmation.

"Okay, will do." Lance's phone buzzed.

**Yukine: yeah that sounds cool thank you**

**Yukine: see you monday**

Hunk typed back quickly.

**No problem we can meet up at the front of the arena and ill have ur ticket**

"What did she say?" Lance asked, and Hunk was confused for a moment, worried that Lance had found out he had been texting Yukine. Then he remembered Lance was too lazy to leave the table, and he quickly re-spun his lie.

"She loves you Lance, but she told me to remind you that you still owe her flowers." Lance groaned.

"Trample one flower bush when you're 12 years old, and suddenly you gotta romance the woman for the rest of your life."

"I'd love to hear that story, but I already know it won't surprise me," Pidge poked playfully. Lance pursed his lips, and Hunk snuck back to take his seat next to him, slipping his phone on the edge of his chair.

"Well, just wait, mama Garett. Two more matches, and I'll buy her an entire flower shop." Hunk laughed a little at that, but he was still thinking of Yukine. Breaking the news to Lance could be a little hard, if only because Hunk was pretty sure she got along with Keith as well as a sea-serpent and badger-mole.

 _I'm sure it'll be fine_ , Hunk assured himself. _Yukine likes Shay, and if they're sitting next to each other, how messy could it be?_

 

Lance had about twenty post-it notes on his mirror. They ranged from "take out the garbage you cabbage" to "thanks for making the bed apricot". It was from these post-its that Lance learned a lot about Keith's writing habits. For example, when he was frustrated with someone, Keith referred to them as vegetables, but when he was trying to show endearment, he called people fruits. Was that a little strange? Maybe. Was it the cutest thing ever? Absolutely.

Lance honestly never imagined he'd like being called a pineapple, but here he was, smiling at the note Keith left on the fridge for Lance to find in the morning.

_Weird guy in a suit tried to sell me magazines. Couldn't go back to sleep after I told him to leave. Went to the gym. Meet you there at 10:30. Don't be late pineapple_

_—Keith_

Lance may have to take it upon himself to teach Keith how to write using coordinating conjunctions, but that was a job for another day. Right now, he wanted to eat breakfast and meet with his best friends to cement their winnings for tomorrow.

Smiling, Lance walked to his room with a note in one hand and fruit in the other other. He put the post it note on the mirror. In such a short amount of time, the mirror had accumulated so many notes that Lance sometimes found himself rereading them for nearly an hour whenever he got dressed or got broed. He was too sentimental for his own good. Keith agreed—said it was kind of cliché, but Lance didn't miss the smile in his face. Keith also caught himself reading them, although Lance only ever saved Keith's.

But Keith reading the notes were a rare occasions. Keith didn't normally go into Lance's room—only if Lance was too lazy to get up and called Keith in for "an emergency". Those emergencies often ended up with Lance kissing Keith and then falling asleep right after (yeah, lame, but Lance needed his sleep). It was a little strange that Keith didn't like walking into Lance's room. Sure, sometimes it smelled like old ladies perfume, but it wasn't _that_ bad.

Lance grabbed his wallet and coat which may have been unnecessary considering it was still mid-summer, but the coat was a source of comfort for him (when you spend five years of your life with a single jacket, you can get attached). Besides, Keith was pretty much the king if "why the fuck is it always cold constantly?" so having it on hand scored him a few Boyfriend Points. Ironic considering Keith was a firebender. Or maybe Keith just liked the excuse to wear Lance's coat.

Lance thought about this on his way out, locking their apartment door as he closed it behind him.

It took Lance forever (10 minutes) to get to the arena. He knew that he told Keith the whole "I like walking with you" thing last time he brought up getting a car, but the whole point was to walk _with_ Keith. Now that he was walking alone, it sucked a whole lot more. Hunk had a car, maybe he should have just pawned a ride off of him.

When Lance was greeted by the familiar glass dome of the arena, he didn't know whether to be excited or filled with dread. On one hand, he actually liked training with Hunk and Keith. On the other hand, he had to get up at 9 o'clock, and he did not appreciate that. But after tomorrow, he wouldn't have to worry about morning training for a long time. If they won all of their final matches, they could finally reclaim their 5pm training sessions. No more late night gym visits or crack of dawn sparring. Finally, he'd be able to be somewhat productive at a normal human time.

The stairs to the upstairs arena usually kind of winded Lance, but the training was really starting to pay off. He wasn't even out of breath when he finally made it to the top, although the racing of his heart told him that it was a nice pre-warm up.

Speaking of warm ups, Keith was probably going to make him do 50 hotsquats. It was past 10:30 (time flies when you're in the shower), and Lance had a feeling he had just been demoted from Pineapple to Broccoli.

"Good morning, beautiful teammates that I love dearly," Lance yelled when he threw open the gym doors. "Such a beautiful day; I couldn't help but to stop to gaze at the most exquisite flowers on the way—"

"Cut the act, you're 15 minutes late," Keith said chidingly with his arms crossed. Lance sighed, clearly deflated.

"Ah, _that_."

"Yes, _that_. You know the rules, Lance." Keith looked annoyed, biting the inside of his cheek. But when he turned to Hunk, his annoyance melted, and his face grew soft, ignoring Lance's grumbling as he began counting his squats. "Like I was saying, tomorrow should be a great place to test out your new offensive moves. Lance can hang back with defense for the first round. Hit them hard, put them off their game, and then you'll both switch." Hunk nodded, gazing at the disc-catcher in the corner of the gym.

"Sounds good." Then he turned to look at Keith, slight nervousness in his eyes. While Hunk had become a lot more confident in his abilities since they won their first match, he was naturally worried about doing something different than what he was used to.

"Are you sure you don't want us both on defense for the first round? We could tire them out and get a knock-out." Keith thought for a moment.

"Having us all on defense should be a last resort. The people were facing are not the kind to tire easily, and the match would be over before they do, or worse: we'll be the ones who run out of mojo."

"Did you just say mojo unironically because if you did—" Lance interjected, but before he could, Keith cut him off.

"Oh no, you were talking and I lost count of your push-ups. Guess you gotta start over. Such a shame, you were almost done, too." Hunk tried to hide his laugh behind his hands as Lance looked at them with heartbreak.

"You're both so cruel; I cannot believe this," Lance told them, already panting. His arms will killing him, and he realized this was the best motivator for getting him to the gym on time. Or maybe if Keith had been with him—

"You're not going low enough, jeez. Who taught you how to do a push up?" Keith asked.

"Garrison," Lance bit back. "Remember gym class? We had it together?"

"We had gym together?" Lance opened his mouth in offense, scoffing.

"Yes, we had gym together! Your gym locker was, like, right next to mine?" Keith was drawing a blank, and shrugged at Lance apologetically. "You almost broke my nose in volleyball?"

"That happened a lot; you can't expect to remember each kid who's noses I almost broke." Keith defended. Lance sat back on the floor, rolling his shoulders.

"The more I get to know you, the less that surprises me," Lance sighed. He stood up, gravitating towards Keith with a smirk; the smirk that Hunk and Keith knew all too well.

"Speaking of getting to know—"

"Wait wait! Just a reminder," Hunk pipped up when Lance began to walk over, "that I am — in fact — here, and if you guys need the room, I'll gladly give it to you." Keith blushed, stepping away from Lance and pushing his fingers to his lips to stop him from protesting.

"No, thanks," Keith told him, "I'm sure we have better things to do," he gave Lance a pointed stare, and removed his finger.

But all Lance did was grin at him. _Oh Roku_ , Keith thought, _why did he have such a cute smile?_ He really regretted not kissing him before leaving this morning—morning breath or not; although, he didn't think Lance would oppose to them kissing right now. Hunk probably wouldn't, either, but as much as it annoyed Keith, they were on a schedule.

"We're on a clock! Lance go get dressed; Hunk, we need to work on your movepool." The two boys nodded, and Lance went to grab his uniform from the lockers, disappearing into the bathroom to change.

Keith led Hunk to the back of the gym. It was darker here, and there was barley enough light for them to see, but Keith would be able to provide any extra light should they need it.

"You have a good style," Keith offered, "but it's repetitive. Mixing things up will give you an advantage."

"Mixing things up?" Hunk asked. "Like different combos?"

"More like different styles."

"So, like Lance?" Lance took "mixing up" to an extreme level which was nothing less than amazing to Keith, but yeah, like Lance.

Keith nodded. "Except while Lance has experience in show-bending, you don't. What you can do is talk to different benders. Earthbenders have really unique styles, so you may find it difficult to couple other styles together, but I think you can do it."

"New style? Doesn't sound too difficult." Hunk said simply, taking a stance and readying his hands. "How about a lil' earth and fire bending mojo? Something awesome but simple, ya know? Easy peasy stuff?"

  
It turns out that coupling styles was the opposite of "easy peasy". So difficult that not only did Hunk feel like crying and giving up, but that Lance had stopped making jabs at him in attempt to be extra supportive.

The mixing was less intentionally drawing from different elements as it was instinctively copying different moves. How Lance did it was a mystery to Hunk, but he supposed that everyone of their team carried different strengths. His being... well, he'd come back to that later when he found it.

"Maybe you should take a break," Lance offered after awhile. "Get your head back on your shoulders for a little while."

Hunk had been struggling with a total of two moves. He had been the one to suggest firebending as a style to copy, but it was a hell of a lot harder than he could imagine. Firebenders were extremely agile, right smack between the fluidness of waterbenders and the freaky flexibility of airbenders. Hunk, as it seems, was not very agile. And while Keith had been patient with Hunk, everyone could tell he was growing increasingly impatient.

"As much as I hate to say it," Keith responded to Lance, "we don't have time for breaks. Whatever progress Hunk can make is going to help us tomorrow, but we still have issues in our teamwork." Hunk could see this was not very pleasing to Lance.

"Well, he's not making progress now. A ten minute water-break can actually help him. Perspective is important," Lance said with enough edge that Keith glared at him, and Hunk was beginning to feel like a child trapped between two arguing parents. Neither of the boys moved as the just stared at each other, butting heads metaphorically, but well on their way to a literal sense.

Hunk swore he saw the air break between them. Almost simultaneously, they both sighed and relaxed their bodies. Hunk would have called it spooky. It was like they were having a mental conversation, and that made him feel more than slightly awkward.

"Alright. Hunk take a break." Hunk's shoulders snagged when Keith said this, and he made his way over to his gym bag that was torn open on the gym bench by the door. "Lance, we need to work on your speed."

"Aye-aye, captain."

"Please don't ever say that again." Hunk smiled into his drink. They were back to normal, with Keith leading Lance over patterns in his footwork, showing him twists in his torso and demonstrating different exercises. Lance went along with the training diligently, following Keith's orders with a smile on his face. Hunk was glad to know that whatever dark patch they had just been in not even a minute ago was gone, and in its place, Lance was flirting openly with Keith, and Keith was actually smiling in return.

Hunk couldn't hear them talking from over here, but he could hear them laughing. He watched them move carefully, hoping to pick up on any of their styles.

Keith had a strange style, Hunk noticed. It was very firebender— Garrison-taught firebending style— but there were moments that were a different type of bending, although Hunk couldn't quite name which one. His unique style was probably what made him so incredibly fast. Hunk would have to ask him about it soon because the more he watched Keith firebend, the more familiar the other style became.

Lance's style was all over the goddamn place. It was beautiful, yes, and sometimes very efficient, but it wasn't exactly waterbender style. Pro-bending called a lot from earthbending duels and firebending agni kai's. It demanded quickness and precision, but waterbending was slow. It took time to set a playing field. Pro-bending didn't allow "slow", so pro-bending water style— as Lance had reminded Hunk for years—pretty much completely threw the rules out the window.

But that's not what made Lance's style so unquie or pretty. Most of Lance's moves were created entirely by him, perfected by years of dedication to his passion. His style was his and only his, and Hunk realized that if he had any chance of learning a new style besides his own, Lance was his key. He had seen every single one of Lance's competitions since Lance joined his very first one. Hunk knew his moves by heart, and trying to imitate them, however strange and unique they were, would be much easier than the style of a stranger.

When Hunk's break had past, Lance didn't seem to have gotten faster. Although Keith assured him he had, Hunk knew Lance didn't feel faster, either.

"Lance, I have an idea," Hunk called as he walked over to the waterbender.

"Idea to make me faster or idea to change your style?" Lance asked. His arms were hung at his side and his legs sprawled apart. He was obviously dejected and tired, and Hunk felt bad enough that he patted Lance's shoulder. He'd hug him, but they were both incredibly sweaty, and Lance liked keeping his pores sweat-free.

"The last one," Lance smiled, standing straight. He was slightly out if breath, and his skin shown with beads of sweat. Keith's "no sweat-bending" rule was still in affect, much to Lance's dismay.

"Okay, so spill. What's the idea?" Keith turned to him curiously, his eyebrows raised slightly like they normally did when he was interested in something.

"I was thinking; your style comes from like just you, right?" Lance looked to the ground sheepishly, like the thought embarrassed him.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well, I know your style like the back of my hand! What if we tried mixing our's together? A Lunk combination!"

"Lunk? Seriously, that's what you're calling it?" Lance asked, unimpressed, but Hunk could see him beginning to smile. He liked the idea, too. "Alright, I'll admit: this interests me. Let's do it."

He turned to Keith, and Hunk didn't know if he was more surprised that the break had worked or that Hunk was going to incorporate Lance's style into his own. Either way, Keith looked pleased, and nodded in approval.

"Guys, not to jinx us or anything," Lance said carefully, looking between Hunk and Keith with a bright grin, "but we're going to kick ass tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hunk needs more self-confidence!!! He is so important to the team ;^; when will he realize??? 
> 
> Me: models Lance's family after my own bc it is also large and I am a tired middle child
> 
> Also I actually thought that I would be able to write the matches in this chapter, but it's almost 9k and writing the match would be like 12k and that's wayyyy too much so all my chapters are pushed back 2 from now on (like I said my timeline hates me)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I have been MIA for the past year and a half! But! I’m still ambitious about this story and have biggggg plans! So! Look forward to that in 28 years. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments!!! They really encouraged me to return to writing this story and i loved all of them very much ❤️❤️
> 
> Also, I’ve had a hell of a year!! So much has happened for me, things I think have made me a better writer! 
> 
> This is about 6,250 words. Each word is me begging for an apology. Also. I promise not to leave u on a cliffhanger as big as this one! I shall return!!!

After an exhausting day of training, Keith stretched out in his bed, ready to sleep and wake up early. If he was lucky, he'd be able to put in a good warm up in the morning, and if he were even luckier, Lance might wake up to join him. But to wake up early, he must sleep early, and so when he headed to bed, he was surprised to find Lance following him into his room with an almost outraged look.

"Keith, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to bed, what does it look like?" Keith asked back, sternness masking his confusion.

"It looks like you're going to bed when it's just barely turned 7."

"And?"

Lance pondered for a moment, and Keith took that time to look him once over. His pajama sleeves were rolled up to his biceps, showing off thin but dark hair on his forearms. On the other side of his arms, Keith noticed the pinkish burns etched into what would have been smooth and hairless skin. To distract himself from the sudden pang of guilt, Keith's eyes wandered up to Lance's wide shoulders, across his lean chest, and followed up to his sharp chin and pursed lips.

"Keith, you are such a strange boy," Lance remarked, but he didn't turn away, and after awhile, Keith knew Lance noticed his staring, and eventually Keith's eyes wandered from his lips to his ears to his hair to his brows and finally to the icey cold blue eyes. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Cause you're beautiful." Lance made a face a mixture of embarrassment and resentment.

"Keith! Don't say that. You'll make me blush like a loser." Keith knew Lance liked it, even if his eyes were averting him. Sighing deeply, Lance made his way over to Keith's bed, laying down at Keith's feet. "You're a nerd."

"Why do you always do that?" Keith asked.

"Do what?" Lance responded with genuine confusion.

"That! Lay on my bed and look adorable." Lance sat up, not blushing this time, but giving Keith a fixed look. Reaching out, Lance gently cradled Keith's chin in his fingertips.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my boyfriend?" Normally, Keith would brush off Lance's hand, tell him he was tired, and force him out of his room, but tonight seemed different. Maybe it was the way the golden light made Lance's face look like warm honey, or maybe it was how soft his hair looked, or how his eyes always seemed to sparkle like they held the universe in them. Whatever the reason, Keith took Lance's hand away from his face and clasped it firmly, pulling Lance closer to him.

"Lance?"

"Yes, Keith?"

"Can I kiss you? And not just a peck, but actually kiss you?"

Lance barely got out a "yeah" before Keith had firmly pressed his mouth to Lance's lips, taking in his mint gum and cherry chapstick all at once. Instantly, Lance melted against him, and slowly moved closer so that he could fit more comfortable with Keith. Keith felt a hand grip his shirt tightly, trying to close the tiny amount of the distance they had between them. The moment Keith felt Lance's tongue hesitantly touch his lips, Keith opened his mouth, and it was like somehow they had even gotten closer.

Everything in Keith's body was exploding. His hands were almost numb, firmly clutching Lance's waist to push him even closer. His legs were bent at an odd angle, which Keith was thankful for because he wasn't ready for Lance to feel anything from the waist down, and if Lance leaned the wrong way, he'd more than feel it. The most noticeable thing, Keith realized, was how much he sucked at kissing. Already, Keith felt the sides of his mouth and lips drenched in saliva, and no doubt was Lance feeling it, too. Lance, however, was much slower with his kissing, almost savoring Keith's kisses, and it was much smoother and cleaner than Keith knew he himself was trying to accomplish.

After awhile, they broke away. Both stared at each other; Keith's brown, almost violet, eyes bore in the blue eyes he knew he adored so much. Lance, for the first time ever, was struck silent, and the two of them just laid their eyes on one another. Lance brought his hand up to Keith's cheek, and Keith pushed against it to feel the warmth from his palm. Lance flickered his eyes down once more to Keith's slobbery pink lips and again leaned forward to capture them.

If it was possible, this time it was more desperate, more grabby. Something in both of them screamed for this physical affection, for this closeness. And for another minute, they both clenched the others hair, rubbed their thumbs underneath their shirts, and Lance even went as far as to bite down roughlyon Keith's bottom lip.

When they broke away for the second time, they both seemed dazed and breathless. Lance had this look in his eye, one that made him squint ever so slightly, and he simply muttered out a quiet but emotionally heavy "I love you."

Before Keith could respond, Lance started to pecker his face with kisses, interjecting an "I love you, Keith" in between each one. Keith found himself beaming under the soft, damp kisses, laughing lightly at how they tickled his neck as Lance trailed down. When Lance reached the interjection between Keith's neck and chin, he hesitated, giving Keith a quick kiss, but it was longer than the rest.

Finishing, Lance drew his arms around Keith's chest and under his back, cuddling him like a giant teddy platypus-bear. Keith cocked his head to look at him, laughing lightly at Lance's soft smile.

"I love you, too, Apricot," Keith whispered. Lance hummed softly, burying his face in Keith's neck, and Keith could feel his warm exhales brush against his skin. Keith closed his eyes, too, trying to take in nothing but the feeling of Lance in his arms. But, temptation overcame him, and he turned his head to watch Lance. Lance had a peaceful look, but he was still smiling, breathing slowly and softly like he was sleeping. Keith placed a soft kiss to his forehead, watching the ends of Lance's smile turn upwards even more. Lance opened his eyes, starring back at Keith with the kind of adoration that made Keith's heart ache.

Suddenly, Lance frowned at him, and Keith cocked him an eyebrow as an inaudible "what?"

"You've got to be shitting me," Lance said, turning so he was laying on his stomach and propped in his elbows, one arm on either side of Keith.

"What?"

"I kissed you for less than three seconds, and you already have a hickey," Lance deadpanned. Something about his voice sounded both amused and also annoyed. "Baby, if you get hickies this easily, you better prepare for the Pidge ridicule."

Keith slapped his hand over where he assumed the hickey was, frowning slightly in his defense. "So? I don't care. I can just cover it was a bandaid, anyways."

Lance laid his head on Keith's chest, feeling the steady rhythmic breathing enter and exit his lungs. "Sure, Keith, that's not inconspicuous at all." Keith gave in and found himself smiling the same smile that he knew Lance adored.

"We'll worry about it tomorrow." When he said this, Lance let out a sound that was a mixture of a whine and groan, closing his eyes and digging his face into Keith's soft stomach.

"Please don't mention the word tomorrow to me. I'm so nervous for the match."

"Why? Lance, you're going to kill it out there! You got great offensive and defensive skills, plus great offensive and defensive teammates!"

"We both know I'm gonna suck."

Keith frowned and looked at Lance with a frown; "Lance, why are you saying this? You know you're going to do well. You've trained your ass off, and the only thing that's going to stop you is doubt and fear." Lance squeezed Keith tighter.

"Shhhh, babe, don't be rational. Let me wallow in my self pity." Rolling his eyes, Keith ran his fingers through Lance's hair.

"No self pity in my room, Lance," Keith said, removing his hands and crossing them across his chest. "If you want to be a sour gummy, you have to go to your room and do it."

Lance rubbed his face again on Keith's stomach. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Kogane." After a few moments of silence, Lance spoke up again. "Can I stay in here tonight? I miss you." Keith wanted to say yes, but he knew Lance wanted to take things slow and sleeping together wasn't taking things slow.

"How about we go lie in your bed till you fall asleep, and then I'll go back to my room. I don't want to wake you up early tomorrow, but I have an alarm for 5:30."

"5:30? Avatar, Keith, are you even human?" Keith shook his head, sitting up and dragging Lance along with him.

"Who knows? However, I'm tired, so I'm gonna put you to bed, and then I can go to sleep."

"I'm not a child, you know. I don't need to be put to bed," Lance said firmly.

"Okay, then I'll just go to bed."

"No wait! Okay, I was lying. Please come sleep with me."

"That's what I thought."

  
"Since the beginning of this championship, two teams have been risen to the ranks of the best of the best! But who is the superior team? Tonight, we will find out that answer. Ladies and gentlemen, benders and non-benders, you do not want to miss the event of the year! It's the reining champions, Kolau Komodo Rhinos, versus the upcoming stars, Makapu Moose Lions!"

Lance rolled his eyes at the announcement over the stadium intercom. It was like Voltron didn't even exist! It peeved him to think that all his hard work will have hardly gone noticed thanks to all the hype about only one of possibly three matches that will happen tonight!

"This is so ridiculous!" Lance said in frustration, not caring that the Makapu Moose Lions were right behind him, gearing up by their lockers.

"What's ridiculous?" Hunk asked, stepping closer to him. Lance had to resist the urge to step back, but the green hue on Hunk's face wasn't exactly comforting to see.

"Dude are you okay?" Lance asked, concern taking over his frustration.

"Yup, yup," Hunk dry heaved, "I'm 100% okay. Just a tiny bit nervous."

Lance patted his back, "Hunk, buddy, we've got this in a bag! No need to be nervous!"

"We have every reason to be nervous," Keith said darkly from the other side of the room. "These teams have trained together for years. We can't afford to get over confident. We can't afford mistakes." Lance frowned softly at him.

"Keith, babe, you're not really helping the atmosphere." Keith turned away at this, not saying anything else.

"What's up with him?" Lance asked himself, eyeing his boyfriend sulk over by the railing, leaning against it with his gaze fixed on the arena.

"I think it's my fault," Hunk responded equally as quietly. He knew he shouldn't tell Lance, but he was certain Keith's irritation stemmed from the fact that Yukine had gotten a ticket to see the match front row, and he probably suspected that Lance had been the one to give it to her.

"How is it your fault?" Lance asked with curiosity.

"I'll tell you after the match. Keith is right. We need to have our A game tonight." It was hard for Lance to take Hunk seriously, however, we the poor boy looked a hiccups length away from hurling his protein shake all over the floor.

From behind them, a door opened, and a man with a red cap and black microphone pressed against his mouth popped is head through the narrow space. "Makapu Moose Lions? You're on in five."

Lance took the opportunity to survey the other team. If all went well that night, he'd be against that very team. It was a team made entirely of men, all young and fit. One of them had a mark on his neck that Lance instantly recognized as belonging to the South Pole. The other two boys were very broad men with large chests and bellies. They reminded Lance very much like their namesake, Moose Lions.

Lance looked back to Keith as well, but he was only met with the back of the boy's head. Lance pushed himself up off the wall, crossing the small viewing room to stand next to Keith.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Lance asked him, gently placing his hand onto of Keith's. It was surprisingly smooth, and Lance noticed how wide Keith's hands were.

"Look, I don't want to complain," Keith said, hesitating.

"But?" Keith seemed to blush and look away.

"It's dumb, but I guess it's just hard. For me."

"What is?"

"Seeing you with Yukine and texting her and bringing her to our matches." Lance was taken aback for a moment.

"Keith, is that what you are upset about?"

"I don't know, yes?" Lance kissed Keith's forehead softly, pulling him into an embrace. "I know it's dumb."

"It's not dumb. I promise you that you're the only one for me. You, and Jennifer Lawerence. And Shrek." Keith pushed him away, laughing lightly. "Are you nervous?"

Keith was still smiling, but he returned his gaze to the arena where he spotted a man walking towards the arena floor. "Not really. If we lose, third place isn't too bad."

"Yeah, but nothing tastes quite as good as first." Lance turned to him to say something once more, but before he could, a loud voice interrupted him, booming in the entire arena.

Instantly, Lance heard the screams of thousands of fans, and both he and Keith watched the stage intently, their smiles dropping from their lips.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Your two time champions! The Kolau Komodo Rhinos!" The announcer threw his arm to his right as the team adorned in red walked another the platform, cracking their knuckles and stretching their arms. If the screams couldn't get any louder, they did when the team began waving to the crowd, and impressively enough, the team's firebender gave a loud exhale of fire that vaguely resembled and Kimono Rhino.

"Oh shit that's cool." Was all Lance can mutter, not even noticing the Makapu Moose Lions approaching their side of the arena.

"And give it up for the new rising stars of Pro-Bending! The Makapu Moose Lions! Never before has teamwork been so perfectly synchronized!" More screams erupted from the stadium as the men of the team turn to face their audience, motioning for their fans to scream even louder.

"The match of the year! Do not tear your eyes away for a second! This will be one match for the books!" Lance wondered if he could be a referee like that one day. If his only job was to hype people up... well that'd be pretty fuckin' sweet.

The referee grew quieter as the teams approached each other. "Are we clear on the rules? No ice, no bending outside your zone, nothing can be held longer than 3 seconds, and no mercy!" The arena again screamed as the referee retreated back behind the ropes to a raised platform.

Lance narrowly watched the other teams. Now was his chance to study them and gain the upper hand. If Lance could manage to gain any kind of advantage, then maybe they'd really have a shot at winning.

When the bell rang, both teams moved with incredible speed. Instantly shots were fired from both sides, colliding mid air and obscuring the view of the fight. Blobs of water, clay discs, and balls of fire all shot seemingly arbitrarily from the fog of steam and dust.

"Ladies and gentlemen, they are off! It seems both teams are holding fast to their zones, throwing hit after hit! Neither is making a budge, would you _look_ at that footwork! Incredible! The Kolau Komodo Rhinos are hitting hard and fast folks, but the Makapu Moose Lions are taking it! Their teamwork is phenomenal as always! Nothing catches these men off guard!"

Lance peered into the fog as it began to disperse, and he could make out the six figures battling out on the floor. He watched just in time for a Kolau Komodo Rhino to get hit square in the chest, with a disk plate, but she was quick to get back on her feet, sending back disks with quick footwork.

"Lan is quick to her feet and back on the offensive, and the Kolau Komodo Rhinos are not giving the Makapu Moose Lions a break!"

Lane blinked, nearly missing the double shot performed by the Komodo Rhinos, knocking the opposing water bender into his teammate, and a well aimed earth disk sent one of them down, smacking their face hard against the ground.

"That's a heavy fall for Humpty Dumpty! Can the Makapu Moose Lions put their team back together before their knocked out?" Just in time, the man on the floor, the one Lance recognized as the water bender, rolled to avoid a blast of water. Clutching his nose in his hands which were dripping with blood, the man sent a few more blasts towards the opposite team, managing to clip the shoulder of the opposing firebender.

The firebender, a girl who reminded Lance a lot of Keith with dark hair and angled eyes, was hurrying back to keep a grip, but with an unlucky slip from a puddle of water, she too hit the ground hard, and it was less than a second until every player from the Moose Lions aimed and concentrated their fire on her. Sensing this, the other earth bender attempted to block the attacks, and called to the girl. The fire bender managed to swing her legs up and around, creating a ring of fire that quickly dispelled the water and fire attacks. However, as she attempted to sit up once more, the clay disc rammed into her chest, and by just barely an inch, she had found herself in the second zone.

"What's this! It seems that the Makapu Moose Lions are starting to push back the champions! Will this end the reign for the Komodo Rhinos?"

Lance watched intently, unsure of who to root for. Both teams were incredible, and Lance was quick to doubt himself and his abilities. "Oh sweet Avatar Korra, I'm fucking doomed."

Keith turned to look at him, and he tried to turn Lance's head to look at him, too, but Lance couldn't tear his eyes away. As Lance watched all of these players duke it out to their hearts content, he began to realize quite clearly that this was those people's lives. This was everything that had and wanted. This... this isn't what Lance wants. Maybe for the thrills, maybe just for a few matches. But he didn't want the championship that hard.

Lance felt very winded all of the sudden. He wasn't a pro-bender. He was never meant to do _this_. He gave up everything he had ever worked for for this, and just as he's about to reach the dreams of hundreds of pro-benders around the world, he just now realizes that this wasn't him. This wasn't Lance McClain. Lance McClain was a show bender who loved what he did. He loved every minute of his shows. He hasn't practiced one in months. He threw everything away, and now he can never return to show bending. Someone has probably already replaced him, it's over, it's over!

"Lance!" Keith called out, snapping Lance from his thoughts. "Look at me." Lance did, trying not to reveal how quickly he was breathing, although he felt the rails beneath his hands turn colder than death as ice crept outwards from his fingertips.

"Y-yeah?" Lance asked, voicing cracking.

"It's not just you out there. It's us. It's all of us. It's Voltron." This did little to quiet Lance's mind, but when Keith pulled him closer and planted a soft kiss against his lips, Lance remembered that he didn't just leave everything for pro-bending. He did it for this, this kiss. He did it for Keith, but more importantly, he did it for himself. This wasn't his life, but Lance didn't know what his life was. He still had years to think about it. He just needed to breath and live. He was going to be alright.

Lance smiled at Keith when they broke apart. "Right. We can do this!"

"I'm glad you guys had your little moment over there," Hunk interjected, "but we have a problem, and it's name is Hunk. Me. I'm the problem."

"What?" Lance and Keith asked in unison, but they got their answer soon when they saw Hunk hurl into a trashcan once more. Both of them grimaced, unsure of how to help the poor guy.

“AND LAN IS KNOCKED OUT OF THE RING!” All three of the boys snapped their heads back to the match, amazed at how quickly the match had progressed in the small amount of time they had looked away. “THIS IS A TURN OF EVENTS, FOLKS! ONLY BASHUO IS LEFT IN THE FIRST ZONE! IS THIS THE END FOR THE KOMODO RHINOS?”

Back on the arena floor, Bashuo skillfully sliced disks in half with his water. He had a steely concentrated look, and Lance saw how strong his arms looked when he spun around quickly to redirect water that had been shot at him to the other team. He was trying hard to cover both himself and the roughed up fire bender. Giving her a pointed look that lasted a millisecond, the two nodded at each other. The boy went first, aiming a quick swath of water at the fire bender in front of him, one of two players left in zone one. If he could knock them both back, his team would advance one place, letting the win the match. It was close, however. There was less than three minutes left on the clock.

Seemingly burrowing his brow in concentration, the boy perfectly timed his next attack. Just as the opposing fire bender began to conjure up a flame, a small bullet of water shot through the ball of flames, causing a small explosion, distracting the fire bender long enough that the other fire bender could deal a swift kick, knocking the player back into zone 2.

“Both teams have one player in both zone two and one! However, the Makapu Moose Lions are still in the lead with zero knock outs!”

“Goddamn, this is so tight,” Lance said out loud, marveling at the match before him. He had never seen anything like this, never. He wondered if this was how other teams felt when they saw Voltron, or if they paled so much in comparison that they vanished.

A soft thud came from behind Lance. He looked behind him, past where Hunk was sitting to face the match. It was soft enough that neither Hunk nor Keith had heard, but Lance had gotten this sick feeling suddenly. Growing up, Lance had this weird gift of sensing things just before they were about to happen. Maybe it was because he was able to see clues subconsciously, or maybe it was because he had always been more spiritually in tune with his surrounding. Whatever it was, Lance got a heavy feeling in his gut, and he turned to open the door.

The door opened easily enough, and Lance peered down the hall on one side. It was completely empty, which Lance found slightly odd. Then again, it was the match of the year. Lance turned the other way, and for just one fraction of a second, Lance was able to see all the purple cloaked people with long and smooth beak-like masks. Without a single chance to comprehend what he was seeing, he felt a sharp, blinding pain in his nose as he was pushed back into the room through the force of what felt like a hammer.

Lance felt back, hindered by his lack of balance and the door slammed shut. Lance touched his nose, feeling the broken shards of bone under his finger, trying not to cry from all the pain.

“Lance!” Keith screamed, rushing to see him. But the moment Lance looked back at Keith’s face flooded with concern and Hunk’s look of horror, the entire arena went black.

Surprised screams echoed the arena, and the sounds normally associated with bending stopped abruptly. Across the audience bleachers, small balls of flame appeared to shed light on the complete darkness. The fire benders from the competing teams mimicked them, and everyone looked around in confusion.

“Lance, fucking hell, are you alright?” Lance couldn’t see Keith, but he felt his arms around his shoulders, trying to guide him up.

“I’m alright, but my nose is definitely broken,” Lance looked out at the confused audience. He knew something was about to happen, and he knew the smartest thing to do right now would be to get Hunk and Keith out of here. He’d go back to find Shay, Pidge, and Yukine, but his legs seemed to tremble with anxiety. He knew he wasn’t anxious for his own well-being, although he was scared, but he was terrified for all the people in the arena.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re sorry for the confusion, but—“ the tournament announcer was cut off with a scream and a thud. Everyone waited in dead silence.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, vermin and filth.” Lance’s veins ran cold. Never had he ever heard a voice so sharp and terrifying.

“Keith, we need to go right now,” was all Lance could muster, but all three of them remained glued to where they were standing.

“We are the Galra, and we have come to tell you that your disgusting game is coming to an end, as many of your lives will in Republic City. Tonight is the first of several attacks that will be made against the people of this city until every person who is not of Earth Nation blood has fled or been wiped out. This is your first and final warning.” The mic screeched at the sound of it being crushed, and the moment it did, the arena erupted into chaos, hundreds of people fumbled around in the dark, calling out names and rushing for the exits. But the confusion escalated when they discovered all of the arena doors had been blocked off or locked.

Suddenly, a bright yellow light shinned on the arena where the match had previously been held. There stood the five pro-benders, all looking mildly horrified and confused.

Lance watched this all from a far, and so before the pro-benders noticed it, Lance saw as four of the purple cloaked figures seemed to skate across the water on a thin sheet of ice, and with a great bow and lifting of arms, the ice was propelled into the air high enough that the figures could all land safely on the arena.

Surrounded by four of these figures stood a strange man. One arm of his was entirely made of metal, and one eye had a orange glow to it, like the man hadn’t sleep in days. The other eye had been sealed shut, and a long scar ran down his face from his eyebrow to jaw. The only thing that kept this man looking like a cyborg straight from a comic book was the sinister, almost delirious, smile he had plastered on his face, one of arrogance.

“Guys, the door won’t open! It’s locked!” Hunk cried out to them, but Keith and Lance both trained their eyes on the five benders who were steadily trying to step away from the intruders. Faster than Lance could blink, the four cloaked figures ran to attack the pro-benders, taking two of them out instantly with quick precision. Members of the audience screamed in terror, all banging against the doors, praying for someone to save them. There was then loud thunderous sounds of rock pounding against doors, almost rhythmic. It added animosity to the scene that Lance watched, tearing up as the two fallen benders were dragged off the stage by their handcuffed arms, screaming a kicking. The other benders reached out to help them, and one water bender, Bashuo, managed to throw one of the figures off his teammate who was firing at both the figure coming for her and the figure attempting to subdue the remaining Moose Lion.

Lance saw Bashuo turn to the girl, almost as if he were going to tell her something, but before he could, the uncloaked man with the evil smile held his hand out to Bashuo, and like a bullet, his arm shot off, piercing Bashuo’s back with enough force that Lance could see the finger tips from the metal hand poke out of his stomach.

Lance’s gut clenched when he heard the girl’s blood curdling scream; “BASHUO!”

With one last ferocious attempt, the girl fired at the remaining figures, trying to shield Bashuo from their attempts of taking him. But two of the figures overwhelmed her, kicking out her knees. As she fell, another figure caught her by the neck and held his hand there as she screamed, and Lance knew the sight well enough: the figure was burning her neck.

“You can’t have him! Lan, Lan please! Help me!” The poor girl cried out, crying in pain. Lance looked at Lan for a second, already seeing that she had been captured in the waiting room.

“We don’t want the boy,” the oranged-eyed man said. “He’s already dead.”

And with that, the man ripped his arm free of the boy’s back, reattaching it back to his shoulder. He turned back to the figures. “We’re done here. Grab the others and let’s go.”

The figures, with their captives, all jumped back into the water where a new sheet of ice had form, and they disappeared into the darkness.

“Keith, I need to go help him.”

“What?” Keith all but yelled. “No fucking way! You are not going out there!”

“Keith, he’s dying! I can help him! If I get to him soon, maybe he’ll last long enough to get him to a hospital.”

“No! I’m not letting you do that! I’m not losing you, too!” Keith’s voice edged on desperation, but Lance knew they had no time to debate this.

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come with me. I can’t carry him alone.” Lance could barely see Keith, but he knew instinctively the face he was making, one that was angry and scared and desperate.

“Please, Lance. Please don’t go.” Lance kissed his head, no doubt smearing blood into Keith’s hair.

“I need to help him. We need to help him.” Taking a deep breath, Lance turned to Hunk. “Hunk, knock that door down and go help those people get out. We need to keep as many people as safe as possible. Find Pidge, Yukine, and Shay, and get the hell out of here.”

“Lance, I can’t leave you—“

“I don’t have time for this!” Lance all but screamed. “That guy is dying! Do what I said, now!” Hunk hesitated for a moment, but then Lance heard the sound of rock smashing through the wooden door.

Lance ran his hands against the wall frantically, searching for the control board. If he could find the button to extend the platform, he could heal the boy and bring him quickly to safety. After a few crucial seconds, Lance found the button and smashed it.

“Keith, be my light; we can’t waste time fumbling in the dark!” Keith responded immediately, and the two of them mounted the platform, wearily keeping watch for any more attackers.

When Lance reached the arena, he felt the feeling of cruelty, the kind of cruelty that took pleasure in taking and murdering people. He and Keith sprinted to the boy, and Lance knew from the looks of it that the kid had lost too much blood.

“Okay, fuck, okay,” trying to keep his head, Lance drew water from the troughs built into the arena floor, covering the boys back with one hand and his stomach with the other. Lance saw the boy’s face flinch in pain, but then relax.

“Keith, I need you to keep me updated on his pulse,” Lance told him sternly. Keith seemed amazed at the way Lance was taking charge, but he quickly followed what Lance was telling him.

“It’s barely there,” Keith managed to choke out.

Lance frantically searched his mind for all the books he had ever read on healing, all of the lessons he had ever been too. Healing came naturally to Lance, but to heal something like this was near impossible for even the best of healers.

Lance removed his hands to survey the wounds. He had managed to seal the wounds, but the inner damage was still too much for his abilities.

“He’s stable for now, but we have to get him out of here,” Lance said. Looping one arm under the boy’s leg and slinging the boy’s arm over his shoulder, Lance and Keith heaved the boy up, carrying him back to the platform. The boy was heavy, but the adrenaline running through Lance’s veins gave him the strength to carry him. When they made it back to the viewing room, Lance was relieved to see the door opened and Hunk gone. He hopes that meant Hunk was helping everyone else escape.

“Where’s the nearest exit?” Lance asked Keith.

“Down the left hall!” The two boys hurried down the hall, hearing shouting behind them. “There should be a stairwell ahead of us! It’ll take us out onto the deck below.”

“Should be?” Lance asked, sweating profusely, blood running into his mouth. “You don’t sound sure.”

“It’s there!”

They hurried as fast as they could go, but then the two boys spotted the hooded figures down the hall, a voice yelling “That’s him! Get him!”

Lance and Keith both screeched to a stop, looking behind them to see if they could turn back. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, this is bad,” was all Lance could mutter.

“Lance! The window!” As fast as Keith could move, which was very, he smashed the window open, kicked away the jagged scars.

Passing off the boy to Keith for a second, Lance began bending as fast as he could, moving his arms in a swaying motion to bring up a column of water that he could stand on. He jumped on the platform and opened his arms for Keith to pass him the boy. When he was safely secure, Lance reached his hand out for Keith.

Keith didn’t move.

“Keith, we don’t have time! Come on!”

“They’ll just come after us. I’m going to stay here and hold them off. I need you to get as far away as possible.”

“No!” Lance cried out. “Please, Keith. I can get us away!”

“I love you, Lance. Please be safe. I’ll see you soon.”

“No!” Lance screamed out to him, but Keith had already rushed ahead, and Lance could see the bright red light from Keith’s fire as he charged against the cloaked figures.

Choking back a cry, Lance hesitated for a moment, but the moan of the boy in his arms brought him back. This boy was going to die, and Lance needed to save him. But Keith—

“GET HIM!” Lance’s water faulted slightly when a cloaked figure reached at him from the window, raking their metal claws against his arm. A blast of fire made the figure shrink away in pain, and Lance brought his arm down hard, and the geyser fell rapidly until Lance and the boy were submerged in water. Arm hooked around the boy, Lance pushed against the water with his hand, sending the boys back like a torpedo. When Lance saw they were a safe distance away from the arena, he pulled them onto shore. He pulled out his phone, calling the emergency center.

“Hello?” A sweet voice said over the phone.

“My name is Lance McClain, and I’m a pro-bender,” Lance said, chest heaving.

“We are well aware of the problem, sir. The police should be arriving now.”

“A boy was stabbed, but i managed to close the wounds. I need an ambulance for him right away. We are on Lion Turtle Beach.”

“We’ll be there in a few seconds.”

After rattling off more details, Lance finally hung up. He pulled himself up and bended the water off of his and the boy’s clothes. While he bended most of the water away, he kept a small amount to wipe the blood from his nose and to heal it as best as he could. When he was finished, he laid back on the sand, and he let out a sob.

He had no idea where any of his friends were. He had no idea if Keith was even alive, or if he were bleeding out somewhere, scared and alone. He let out another cry as he heard the sirens of an ambulance near him.

Why would Keith do that? Why would he sacrifice himself? Never before had Lance felt so empty, so heartbroken.

“Keith, please.” Lance had not even gotten the chance to tell him he loved him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said!! I’m not evil!!! I will not leave u hanging on with... this! This is garabage but i’m proud of my garbage! 
> 
> I love all of y’all and you’re stars! Be safe ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Don’t get kidnapped by the Galra!!!!!!!


End file.
